David Platt Messages
David Platt Messages is a podcast that highlights sermons from teacher, author, and pastor David Platt.
David Platt Messages
Prayer: Our Wartime Walkie-Talkie
Why do so many Christians seem to treat prayer so casually? Could it be that we have forgotten that we are in a spiritual battle and that the stakes are eternal? In this message from Colossians 4:2–18, we’re reminded that prayer is not simply a means of asking God to give us the things we want. It’s a privilege we have of asking God to carry out his will amid a spiritual battle for the souls of men. Find out what it means to use prayer as a wartime walkie-talkie.
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You are listening to Radical with David Platt, a weekly podcast with sermons and messages from pastor, author and teacher David Platt. If you have a Bible and I hope you or somebody around you does that you can look on with. Let me invite you to open with me to Colossians, chapter 4. I want to put a picture in your mind. Today, I have in my hand a walkie-talkie from World War II, so that's when walkie-talkies were invented. This mechanism obviously technology has come a long way You're not putting this in your pocket but invented for the first time for troops on the ground, but invented for the first time for troops on the ground to be able to communicate with their commander general's headquarters, and it was revolutionary, when it came to battle, to be able to communicate in that way. Now I wanna be super careful from the very beginning when using wartime imagery. I in no way wanna communicate that we as Christians are supposed to be militant in a physical way or even in terms of a culture war, but the Bible clearly teaches that we are all engaged in our lives, in spiritual battle, and this applies whether you're a Christian or not.
Speaker 1:There is an adversary, the devil, who is actively working to destroy your life and your family and your future. The Bible teaches we have all turned from God and his ways to ourselves and our own ways. The Bible calls that sin and describes all of us as held captive to sin that leads to death. And if we die in this state of captivity to sin apart from God, we will experience eternal death and suffering. And Satan, the devil, wants all of us to experience everlasting suffering. But the good news of the Bible is that God loves us and has made a way for us to be forgiven of our sin and freed from captivity to experience eternal life in Jesus, now and forever. What this all means is that we live every day on the front lines of spiritual battle, and this plays out in all of our lives, even as followers of Jesus, with temptations to sin, with battles to believe that which is true and not lies or deceptions from the enemy. And it also plays out in spiritual battles that involve others' lives, people who are at this moment still separated from God and don't know Jesus and are on a road that leads to everlasting suffering. So obviously not in a militant way, but with love and compassion and with the gospel the greatest news in the world of freedom from sin to experience eternal life. We give our lives on the front lines of battle to making this gospel known, and God has given us a method of communication. So now make the connection a method of communication on the ground to be in contact with him at all times as our commander. And that method of communication is called what Prayer.
Speaker 1:So John Piper is the first person I ever heard use this illustration of prayer as a wartime walkie-talkie. So I'm going to quote here from his book Let the Nations Be Glad. I would highly recommend it on mission in the Christian life. And he writes probably the number one reason prayer malfunctions in the hands of believers is that we try to turn a wartime walkie-talkie into a domestic intercom. Prayer, he writes, is for the accomplishment of a wartime mission. It's as though the field commander, jesus, called in the troops, gave them a crucial mission go and make disciples of all the nations, handed each of them a personal transmitter coded to the frequency of the general's headquarters and said comrades, the general has a mission for you. He aims to see it, and then he writes advice. And to send air cover when you need it. And then he writes.
Speaker 1:But what have millions of Christians done. We've stopped believing that we are in a war. No urgency, no watching, no vigilance, no strategic planning, just easy peace and prosperity. And what did we do with the walkie talkie? We tried to rig it up as an intercom in our houses and cabins and boats and cars, not to call in firepower for conflict with a mortal enemy, but to ask for more comforts in the den. And today I wanna show you in God's word that this is what prayer is for, in a way that I hope will totally transform your understanding of prayer, and that this week we're gonna put it into practice with love for people around us, realizing we are in a spiritual battle and the stakes are infinitely high. So so one more quote from Piper Most people show by their priorities and their casual approach to spiritual things that they believe we are in peacetime, not wartime.
Speaker 1:Very few people think that we're in a war that is greater than World War II or than any imaginable nuclear war. Few reckon that Satan is a much worse enemy than any earthly foe, or realize that the conflict is not restricted to any one global theater, but is in every town and city in the world. Who considers that the casualties of this war do not merely lose an arm or an eye or an earthly life, but lose everything, even their own souls, and enter a hell of everlasting torment. Until we feel the force of this, we will not pray as we ought. We will not even know what prayer is. Is that true that we won't even know what prayer is if we're not using it like a wartime walkie-talkie?
Speaker 1:Well, let's look at God's word, colossians, chapter four, verse two 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 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. So did you see that there are two imperative verbs in the verses? We just read two commands that God gives us here, through Paul, who is writing, by the way, from prison where he has been chained for spreading the gospel, and he gives two commands Continues steadfastly in prayer, pray. So that's the first command, and then the second one is walk in wisdom toward outsiders as you speak to them. So pray as you walk, walk and talk Walkie-talkie Colossians, chapter 4. So here's how I would put it. If you're taking notes, hear what God's Word is saying to us today. Two commands, so. One is this, just to make it simple Talk to God about people Constantly.
Speaker 1:That's the picture here. Continue conversation with God all the time you don't turn off a walkie-talkie, you don't say Captain, not gonna be talking to you anymore. It's always, always there. You're always in communication, being watchful what a great description of prayer. Looking around you, talking with God about it. God, I see this, I'm praying. I see that I'm praying. I see this person Praying for them. See that person praying for them. That person doesn't know Jesus praying for them. That person's walking through this. I'm praying for them.
Speaker 1:It's continual calling out to God. God, I don't understand what's happening around me right now. Help me to see through your eyes, not my own eyes. Being watchful with thanksgiving, I love it, always looking for evidences of God's grace around you. Oh Lord, god, general, I see your goodness there. Praise you for that. Thank you for being near to me, not leaving me alone in that battle. Thank you Paul's writing, even in prison, helping me in every way I need, which then leads into the next two verses.
Speaker 1:At the same time, pray also for us. Paul says mean those who are with me 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. This is amazing. Make sure you understand. See what is happening here. God. Paul is saying pray that God will open a door. So this is language the Bible uses elsewhere to describe God making a way, in particular places or people's hearts, for the word of God to go. So he says pray for an open door for the word to spread specifically the mystery of Christ. You're like, what does that mean? Mystery of Christ? Well, many of you have memorized this over the course of Christ. You're like, what does that mean? Mystery of Christ? Well, many of you have memorized this over the course of this series. So this is the final exam.
Speaker 1:Colossians, chapter one, verses 15 through 20. I'm gonna put it up here on the screen. I wanna invite everybody to read it out loud together and if you've memorized it over the course of this series. Then keep your eyes closed. All right, here we go talking about Jesus. This of this series. Then keep your eyes closed. All right, here we go Talking about Jesus.
Speaker 1:This is the mystery of Christ, who he is. What does the Bible say? Let's read it out loud together. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, for by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things and in him all things hold together, and he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent, for in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell and through him, to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. Well done, get the mystery.
Speaker 1:Jesus is God in the flesh who's come to this world at war. To bring. What? Peace with God? Through his death on the cross for sin and spoiler alert from next week his resurrection from the grave, jesus has conquered the cosmic powers of sin and darkness and death, so that captives to sin anywhere, everywhere, no matter who you are, no matter what you've done, you can be reconciled to God. So then, what is prayer for? Prayer is a wartime walkie-talkie for God to open doors for that word, that mystery, to spread.
Speaker 1:And Paul is here in prison, in enemy territory. He sneaks out a letter to some of his fellow troops and he says I need you over in Colossae to ask God to blow open the doors for the good news of Jesus to be clear here. This is incredible, don't miss it. An open door that the word about Jesus is spreading through in a Roman prison was dependent on people in Colossae praying for that. Do you see that the spread of the gospel through Paul in a Roman prison was dependent on brothers and sisters in Christ praying in Colossae? Do you realize the implications of this, what this means? Just think in this gathering right now, think about brothers and sisters who used to sit in this room or other rooms where we're gathered right now, who have been sent out from among us to go to places like Turkey or India or Thailand. They're on the front lines of spreading the gospel in hard places and they need us continually calling out to God for his grace, his power. Open doors for them to spread the gospel clearly in Turkey and India and Thailand. The spread of the gospel in Turkey and India and Thailand through our brothers and sisters is dependent on our wartime walkie-talkie. Praying in Metro DC. That's the clear implication of this text.
Speaker 1:And then now think closer to home. So this next week, think next Sunday, all five of our locations, five different pastors, are gonna preach Jesus. So what do we need to be doing this week? All of us, get on the walkie-talkie. Pray for open doors to invite people. Spread the gospel to people. Pray for people's hearts to be people. Spread the gospel to people. Pray for people's hearts to be open to hear the gospel. Pray for every single pastor who's gonna be preaching Jesus. Pray that we will make it clear and do all of this knowing that the mystery of Jesus spreading this week is actually dependent on you using this walkie-talkie. This week, prayer actually matters. Now let me tell you a story Some of you may have heard me share this, one of my favorite stories from one of my favorite preachers in church history, dl Moody.
Speaker 1:So God used DL Moody, his proclamation of the gospel, to lead countless people to faith in Jesus. When he had been traveling, preaching in a variety of different places in the United States and God was just blessing his proclamation of the gospel to lead many people to Christ, he had just started preaching over in England and he was preaching this one church on a Sunday morning and he preached the gospel, invited people to respond, and the way he described it later it was like nobody was listening and nobody responded. And it's just to speak from experience. It is not an awesome feeling when you're standing up in front of and it's just like ah, is any, is this thing on? Like I don't even know if anybody's here. And so it was one of those Sunday mornings for him and he came back that night to preach to the same group of people and he was not looking forward to it.
Speaker 1:But when he got back that night he said the atmosphere, spirit in the room was totally different. It was like people were sitting on the edge of their seats. And he got to the end and he invited people to put their faith in Jesus and he said if you want to trust in Jesus, I want to invite you to stand up. And nobody responded in the morning. This time people stood up all over the room and he was so confused he's like what happened? So then he thought well, maybe they didn't understand, maybe they're confused. So he said why don't you sit back down? And he shares the gospel one more time. And he says now, if you really want to trust in Jesus, now stand up. Well, more people stood up the second time than did the first time, but he still was not convinced. So, true story, moody told them to sit back down. He said I want to share with you the gospel one more time, like the cost of following Jesus. And if you really want to follow Jesus, we're going to dismiss and the pastor and I are going to meet in a side room for anybody who wants to come and talk more there. And so he dismisses the service, goes into the side room, he and the pastor. Well, before long that room is standing room, only it's packed with people. Moody, still not convinced, said I'm gonna share it one more time and if you really wanna trust in Jesus, I wanna invite you to come back tomorrow night and meet with the pastor here. He's gonna dismiss them. Moody was headed out of town the next morning. He was like I'm just gonna leave this with the pastor to figure out. So he shares the gospel one more time, says come back tomorrow night if you really wanna trust in Jesus. They dismiss, he leaves the next morning. A few days later he gets a telegram that's how they communicated back then from this pastor saying you need to get back here.
Speaker 1:More people showed up on Sunday, on Monday night, than were here on Sunday night. God's doing something here. He comes back, he preaches for weeks. It was one of those stories where just revival breaks out and spiritual awakening and all these people coming to know Jesus all across the city. So Moody was super inquisitive, wanted to find out what was the difference between Sunday morning and Sunday night. So he starts doing some research and he finds out about this bedridden woman who was not at church that morning because of her illness and her sister, who was at church, came that afternoon, brought her lunch. And when her sister brought her lunch she asked, asked, hey, how did church go this morning? Her sister said ah, it wasn't that great. There was a guy named dl moody who preached. Immediately the breadwinner woman's eyes lit up. She said I've heard about how god has been using that man in the united states. I've actually prayed that god would bring him to england. Set my food aside, I'm going to fast and pray the rest of this afternoon that many people would come to know Christ in our town through his preaching of the gospel. Same group of people, same preacher, same word, totally different power. Why? Because people got on. One woman got on the walkie-talkie, said God, do what only you can do. And it happened.
Speaker 1:So don't miss the point of what God's saying in this text. Prayer is the human key that unlocks the power of God and the spread of gospel in the world. Are you hearing this? Prayer is the human key that you have in your hand to unlock the power of God and the spread of the gospel in the world. So let's use it like that. Let's steward this gift we've been given. Prayer is not just for more comforts in our lives. Prayer is for the accomplishment of a mission in the world and the saving of people's lives for all of eternity. So talk to God about people constantly and then so walkie-talkie Talk, walk, then walk in wisdom. So the way I'm gonna put it here is to then talk to people about God wisely. That's the second command here. Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, so that's a reference to people who don't know Jesus.
Speaker 1:And then the language here. Look at this Making the best use of the time. This is so good. The word that Paul uses for time there isn't just time in general, that would be chronos, which we might get like chronology. Instead, paul uses this word, kairos, which you might be familiar with, like a kairos moment, a particular moment that's set aside for a particular purpose. And basically this verse is saying this that the time you have with people who don't know Jesus isn't just accidental, it's purposeful.
Speaker 1:God ordains moments, time with you and people who don't know Jesus for a reason, and I want you to just think about how this infuses meaning into your every interaction with someone who doesn't know Jesus. It is not an accident that they are in your family, or that they're your friend, or that you work with them, that you're in the cubicle next to them, or you walk the halls of school with them, sit next to them in that class, or that you play on that team with them or live next to them, or you walk the halls of school with them, sit next to them in that class, or that you play on that team with them or live next to them or will just so happen to meet them, run into them this week or be in an Uber with them and all these things. Make the most of the moments, that time that God has purposely given you for people who are on a road that leads to eternal suffering, that he loves and desires to have eternal life. And here's what you do. God says let your speech, always, always, and whether you're in a good mood or a bad mood, always your speech, always be gracious and just dripping with the love and the grace of God, and everything you say to others and everything you say about others. Let your speech be gracious and seasoned with salt. We talked about this in Matthew, chapter 5 salt and light in a decaying world. Let your speech be different, in a way that is beneficial and helpful to others. So that purpose, so you may know how you ought to answer each person, and the picture here is clearly focused on sharing the gospel with each person you interact with, which obviously doesn't mean it's the only thing you talk about, but it is the one thing you inevitably talk about with everyone. So just think, based on this text, about your interactions with people who don't know Jesus and ask is your speech gracious In a way that draws people to God's grace through the way you talk? Is it seasoned with salt in a beneficial, helpful way? That's different from this world?
Speaker 1:And have you at any point shared the gospel with each person that you normally interact with? And if the answer to that question is no, I would just encourage you to consider why not. Why, if Jesus is your life and you know Jesus is the only way for them to have, why have you not shared him with them? And I ask the same question to people I interact with. And if we're not careful, we can talk all day long with people about work and school and the weather and food and sports and politics and current events and circumstances, and obviously it's not wrong to talk about these things, but none of those things are gonna last forever. At some point let's speak about what lasts forever. Let's make the most of the little bit of time we have here to speak to each person about what matters for all of eternity. And I know one of the reasons that many of us don't talk this way and I say this from personal experience why we don't talk about God or the gospel with each person, is because we're afraid or we feel like it might be awkward. We're just not sure what to say.
Speaker 1:This is where I wanna encourage you in a couple of ways. Very practically. We could dive into a ton here, but I wrote a little book that you can download for free online called Gospel Threads. That's the overflow of me processing this in my own life. How do I share the gospel in the fabric of everyday interactions? Just weaving threads of the gospel into the fabric of my interactions with others. Weaving threads of the gospel into the fabric of my interactions with others. So you can that's just a practical resource that I wrote to try to be helpful along these lines.
Speaker 1:Just search gospel threads and then two, this text is telling us this is what the walkie-talkie's for. It's what prayer is for to ask the commander for help. It's what prayer is for to ask the commander for help. We all need help. This is paul. This is the greatest missionary in the history of christianity said I need somebody to pray for me to make the gospel clear if he needed help. You need help and I need help. We all need help. And the whole point of the passage is god wants to the help, and prayer is the means by which we get the help. So pray for this in our lives and pray for this in each other's lives. This is how we help each other. In the church, we've all got walkie-talkies to ask our commander to help us and help each other. It's what the church does together, not just get together and prayer requests for more comforts in the den. We get together and we call out for God's help for each other to spread this good news in this city. God, open doors and help us to clearly speak the mystery of Christ as we ought to speak.
Speaker 1:Which then leads to this list of all these names at the end of Colossians, which, when you read a list like this and you're doing your Bible reading, oftentimes you're just kind of like read through this and I'm not really sure what this has to do with my life. Oh, these verses are so good, with so many takeaways for our lives, we just let's read them. Then let's think about it. So verse seven, paul writes Tychicus, will tell you all about my activities. He, verse seven, paul writes Tychicus, will tell you all about my activities.
Speaker 1:He's a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant of the Lord. I've sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, that he may encourage your hearts, and with him I'm just going to circle the different people. Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who's one of you. They will tell you of everything that's taken place here. 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. And Jesus, who is called Justice. These are the only men of the circumcision Jewish men among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they've been a comfort to me. 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, for I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis. Luke, the beloved physician, greets you, as does Demas. Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea and to Nympha and the church in her house, and when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans, and so that you also read from the letter of Laodicea and say to Archippus see that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.
Speaker 1:Oh, there's so much here, so many different takeaways for our lives just flowing from this list of names. I'll just mention a few of them here. One Jesus removes barriers between us. This list includes Jews, greeks, men, women, slave and free, and it's all a reminder of the beauty of the body of Christ. It's one of the things I love most whenever I'm in another setting around the world, like in Bangladesh a few weeks ago, where this group of 518 to 30-year-olds just crammed into this room and we don't speak the same language. We have so many differences in our background and just so many different things, and yet instantly I'm with family. These are brothers and sisters in Christ. And then I think about that just in this room and all the rooms where we're gathered right now as a church family. So many of us from different ethnicities, cultural backgrounds, perspectives, and yet we are closer than even physical family, like spiritual family. We have the same bloodline forever. Jesus removes barriers between us and follow this. Jesus heals brokenness between us.
Speaker 1:Did you see Mark mentioned in verses 10 and 11? That's the same Mark who Acts 15 tells us Paul who's writing this, and Barnabas had a sharp disagreement over Mark because of something Mark had done to Paul, and Paul said I don't want Mark to go along with us. And they ended up splitting and going different ways. And yet by this time, in Colossians 4, god has reconciled that relationship to the point where Mark he says welcome him, because he has been a comfort to me. Do you believe that? That God has power to heal brokenness between brothers and sisters in Christ? Ask God, our Father, to do that in any relationship where there's brokenness with a brother or sister in Christ.
Speaker 1:And the third takeaway we all need brothers and sisters like this in our lives. You just look at the description. These are beloved people. They love Paul. They're servants of Jesus alongside Paul. They're the kind of people who encourage your heart. Don't we all want and need people in our lives who encourage our hearts? They're fellow workers for the kingdom alongside Paul, like none of us can follow Jesus and make him known in the world on our own and I love the phrase. They've literally proved a comfort to me. Aren't you thankful for people? Don't you need people in your life who prove to be a comfort to you?
Speaker 1:And then check this out. Look at Epaphras. He is always struggling on your behalf in his prayers. Don't you want people like that in your life, who are struggling for you in their prayers what a phrase so that you may stand mature and fully assured in the will of God and look at this he has worked hard for you. Oh, we want, we need people who work hard for our good. This is where I just, I want to encourage you.
Speaker 1:If you're not a part of a church group where you have brothers and sisters who are caring for you in these ways, struggling in prayer for you in these ways, encouraging your heart in these ways, get connected to a church group and, at the same time, realize, okay, we need brothers and sisters like this in our lives and we all need to be brothers and sisters like this in others' lives. And who are you comforting, encouraging, loving, working alongside in the kingdom, who you're struggling in prayer for, who you're working hard for and, to the extent you're doing those things, hear God's affirmation keep doing it. He's pleased in your struggles in prayer for that person and you're working hard for their good. We all need to be brothers and sisters like this in others' lives, knowing that. So here's two more takeaways Knowing that every person matters in God's kingdom. I love this.
Speaker 1:We talk about Paul, we even name our kids after him. This incredible missionary, church leader who wrote this letter, but nobody talks about, and very few people, if any, name their kids Tychicus. Is there anybody named Tychicus today? I didn't think so. Okay, but let's just point out the obvious. So Tychicus is the one who took the letter to the church at Colossae. Paul wrote it, but if Tychicus didn't get the letter to them, dropped it along the way. There's no chance we're reading it 2,000 years later. Everybody matters and we can miss this because this world trains us to see the prominent people, which is not how God sees.
Speaker 1:Let me do a little test, a little audience participation. So trivia. What is the name of the current commander's quarterback who was recently named NFL Rookie of the Year and almost led Washington to the Super Bowl? What's his name? Okay, say it loud if you know it. All right, jaden Daniels. Okay, that's a lot of people. Now let me ask this question. Now let me ask this question. What is the name of the center who snapped the ball to Jaden Daniels 941 times this last year? All right, in this room I'm not hearing anybody. So the answer is Tyler Biotish. I think that's how you say his name. We can hardly pronounce his name when we see it, much less remember it. But if I could just point out the obvious, if he did not get the ball to Jaden Daniels, there was no chance Jaden Daniels was winning Rookie of the Year and no chance the commanders were going to the NFC Championship.
Speaker 1:I don't miss this In the end of Colossians. Here God is reminding us my kingdom is not just about people on a stage or in this or that position. My kingdom is about the bedridden woman praying and fasting. That's where the power is, and every single person in between, every single student, teenager, young adult, up to every single senior adult, every single person in the body of Christ matters for the kingdom of Christ. Don't sell God short of what God's made you to do. Don't think, well, I'm not this person or that person. No, do not sell God short the Holy Spirit of God in you, to give you a part to play in his kingdom. I love this.
Speaker 1:I love what we read about with Archippus, there at the end of verse 17,. Say to Archippus see that you fulfill the ministry you have received in the Lord. Notice not the ministry that somebody else received in the Lord, you. So it's not about comparing yourself with this or that person, thinking well, they do that or they do that Like no. You do the ministry that you've received from the Lord and do it with joy and contentment, with all your heart and trust. As you play your part, this person plays their part. We're all playing a part in his kingdom.
Speaker 1:I think about today, on this stage, with palm branches, with a bunch of kids and children with special needs, and I just looking in the faces of the buddies who, every single Sunday, come serve alongside one child with special needs. That is glorious in the kingdom of God and it is just as important as standing here proclaiming the word. Everybody plan our parts. Every single person matters in the kingdom. And then so follow this. One more takeaway Every single moment has the potential to bring about everlasting fruit.
Speaker 1:So think about the Kairos moment we talked about earlier. You look at this different list of people, like one carrying a letter, sending greetings, providing comfort, fulfilling a ministry. I just think this infuses meaning into every moment. You just think about this week. Okay, you could have a conversation with a coworker or a classmate or somebody you just happen to meet at the grocery store in line. That leads you to invite them to church next Sunday, that leads them to hear the good news of God's love for them, that leads them to believe and experience eternal life in Jesus. And your conversation at the water cooler or in the hall of your school or at the grocery line this week may lead to someone praising and enjoying Jesus 10 trillion years from now. That's amazing. Like what anticipation should we have going into this week and every day, with the moments that anyone can lead to everlasting fruit?
Speaker 1:So what do you do with that? Here's what you do with that. You get on the walkie talkie at the very beginning of the day and you say, god, I wanna live today for what's gonna matter forever. I wanna talk today in a way that's gonna matter forever. I want to talk today in a way that's going to matter forever To you about people and to people about you. So you talk to God about people, constantly, watchfully, thankfully. Open a door there, open hearts to hear Kind of pray for this person, that person they're held captive to sin and pray for their freedom from sin. You get wounded along the way. God brings you through. Say God, thank you for bringing me through. Thank you for helping me get through that. Just like you always do. As you talk to God about people constantly, then you talk to people about God wisely. I guarantee you you do both those things and your moments in prayer and in walking, walking and talking will bear fruit forever.
Speaker 1:So Paul closes all this by saying I, paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains, grace be with you. Oh, that's so good. Dramatic even Like Paul has likely dictated this letter through a scribe, but now, with chains around his wrists, he takes the papyrus in his hands, holds the brush between his fingers and he writes I'm writing this with my own hand. And he looks down at those hands with chains around them, because he's given his life to this battle. And he says what many brothers and sisters of ours hands with chains around them, because he's given his life to this battle. And he says what many brothers and sisters of ours would say today from North Korean labor camps to Iranian prisons remember my chains, don't forget. We got brothers and sisters who this week will have opportunities to point people to Jesus, and it could cost them their lives. And we live in a land where we're free to do that. All the more so we should be bold. He says remember my chains, pray that I'll speak it clearly. Implication I'll pray that you'll speak it clearly. And then he says the exact same thing.
Speaker 1:He started at the beginning of the letter. He says grace, be with you. Ah, grace, I don't, don't live to spread this gospel spiritual battle because of guilt, because you feel bad. I guess I'm supposed to do this obligation. No, because you're so overwhelmed by the grace and love of god. What if you read psalm 103 this morning? The benefits God, the steadfast love, the grace. The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, his love in your heart. So live to spread it. And he sets it down, rolls it up. He says, tychicus, it's all yours now. So, church, let's do this together, every one of us playing our parts, let's get on. Let's stay on the. Every one of us playing our parts, let's get on. Let's stay on the walkie-talkie all the time.
Speaker 1:I hope you view prayer totally different as a result of Colossians, chapter four, and especially this week. Let's pray for each other. Let's pray for open doors to invite people, knowing you're gonna have opportunities to invite people that I won't have. I'll have opportunities to invite people that you won't have and maybe nobody else will have. Like, let's pray for open doors, let's walk through them and let's pray. Could I invite you even to fast at some point this week, from a meal for a day more, just for power next Sunday, for every one of our pastors who are preaching the gospel. They need, we need you praying and fasting for power to make the gospel clear and don't stop there. Pray for pastors all across our city who are preaching the gospel and pray for our brothers and sisters who are spreading the gospel all over the world.
Speaker 1:Let's press in and pray that God would bring countless people over the next week from bondage to sin and death to everlasting life in him. Pray that god would liberate captives this week. So I want to lead us into a moment of prayer and reflection before god. You and the walkie talkie and if, if you're not a follower of jesus, I know I hope that you've not gotten too lost in this wartime imagery, but the picture is in sin, all of us in sin, separated from God.
Speaker 1:God has made a way for us to be forgiven of sin, restored a relationship with him If you've never put your faith in Jesus to be forgiven of sin and freed from captivity, to experience relationship with God. I invite you to trust in Jesus, to be forgiven of sin and freed from captivity, to experience relationship with God. I invite you to trust in Jesus today and when you do, and for all who have. Look at a world where so many people around us are separated from God on a road that leads to everlasting suffering. Get on the walkie-talkie and let's ask. So here's what I want you to reflect on specifically over the next couple of moments One who can you invite to come next Sunday? Who doesn't know Jesus? We hope you've enjoyed this week's episode of Radical with David Platt. For more resources from David Platt, we invite you to visit radicalnet.