While studying for this week's sermon, one commentator mentioned the bystander effect. The bystander effect is the social psychological theory that states that people are less likely to offer help to another person in the presence of a crowd. The theory is based off a murder that took place in 1964 where it said that 37 bystanders saw and heard the attack but did not come to the assistance of the victim or call the police. Though there are studies that have sought to disprove this social phenomenon, we do still see that we are a society that is prone to defer responsibility. Thinking that somebody else will call the police, somebody else might pull over on the highway and help a person in need as they're stranded, somebody else will wash the dishes, somebody else will clean the toilet, you name it, there's more often than not, we are happy to pass the buck and be a bystander. This is more than just heard mentality, this is heard apathy. And throughout the Bible we are called out of our apathy into action. And this is not just a behavior of non-Christians, this is also the behavior of Christians. In our humanity we are people that are programmed for passivity. But God calls us to participation. In this passage we see the Apostle Paul calling the Church of Colossae to mission, to God's mission. And when it comes to participating in God's mission in the world, we can so easily fall prey to the bystander effect. Thinking somebody else will do evangelism, somebody else will care for the needs of the needy, someone else will do the deed or say the words, but it's probably not me. And even as a pastor, I can so easily succumb to my passive proclivities. In this passage this call to participate in God's mission is not just for clergy, it is for all Christ followers. In these four verses Paul urges that we are called to participate in God's mission. And we participate in God's mission in two actions, in watchful prayer and in wise witness. And this will serve as our outline this morning, you can follow along in the back middle portion of your bulletin to take notes. Let's look at our first point, watchful prayer. Paul here is at the tail end of his letter as I mentioned earlier. And it's common even in our communication patterns to maybe put some less important information or actually to put information that requires a response. In our emails we'll say, based on what I said above, would you please do X or maybe respond with Y? And I believe this is what Paul is doing in his letter. He is asking for the people to do a personal ask. He is asking for them to respond. And what he asked for is how he began this letter. He asked for prayer. Paul says, I prayed for you, now would you pray for me? But Paul is with the Lord now, so we do not need to pray for him as the Church of Colossae did. We are instructed on how to pray for one another and how we are to pray for public witness. Or another way to say this is that we pray for one another and how to pray for the world. Paul tells us that we are to continue steadfastly in prayer, to stay the course to devoted prayer, this unshakable kind of prayer, the kind of prayer that can't stop and won't stop. This is the prayer that's rooted in the confidence that God hears what we are saying. But also is confident that we need God in every circumstance. It holds together confidence that God hears and that we need God. Paul calls the Church of Colossae to this ongoing, vigilant prayer. To be watchful in prayer, as Paul says, giving thanks to God, thanking him for answered requests. So often we are fearful to pray or so preoccupied with ourselves that we don't have eyes to see that God has answered our pleas. The kind of praying that Paul encourages in verse two is one that also looks out for answered prayer but also looks to how to pray for others. To be attentive to the needs of the saints, to uphold them in prayer. We want to be a church that models this. Who wants to pray for one another, not just once a week in the family of the week that's good, maybe continue to do so, but asking one another and looking to one another, how can I pray for you brother or sister? Whether it be for their marriage or their work, for their unbelief that's creeping in their heart, for their health, or maybe for some of the younger saints for their education. You pray for them as they interact with those people or those other students at school. You name it. We have the privilege of drawing near to God as children to ask our Father simply, earnestly, and confidently knowing that our Father in heaven hears us and cares for us. He might not act the way that we'd like him to in every circumstance, but we can trust that he is acting for our good and his glory. Church, we want to be a house of prayer. Jesus in the gospels goes into the synagogue, flips tables, and he says, my Father's house is to be a house of prayer. On the flip side, the church is to be a place that cries out to God, but the flesh, Satan in the world will do anything to hinder that. Like making our preferences supreme over God's command to pray, saying statements like, I don't really feel like praying, so I won't. Or it feels awkward to publicly pray, so I won't. Or I'm too young, or I'm too old. God is not in heaven grading our prayers based on our age or our eloquence. He isn't. He is a Father that delights and wants to hear from his children. So would we be a people who are willing and wanting to ask, how can I pray for you? Or can I pray for you? Just right now. And actually do it. I'm not going to say that it has to happen right then and there, but how beautiful would it be if it did? How beautiful would it be if it did? How magnificent would it be that after this sermon, this place broke out into unceasing prayer, lifting each other up to God, being watchful and thankful. It'd be beautiful. We not only want to be watchful, praying for one another, but we also want to pray for those who have yet to believe. Watchfully praying for the world. Look with me at verse three. Paul asks the saints of Colossae to pray for an open door to declare the mystery of Christ. This in many ways, this prayer request that Paul illustrates changes the way that we think about praying for evangelism. Often we pray, God, would you use me in this circumstance? Or we pray, would you bring so and so to faith? And not saying not to pray those prayers, but what Paul illustrates here is a prayer asking God for the opportunity to share about Jesus. And I would argue not only praying for the opportunity, but praying that that interaction in that individual would be receptive to the message of Jesus. Jesus tells us in Matthew nine that the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few, meaning that many are ready to come to faith, and they are ripe for the picking, but there are few who actually go out and harvest. And if this is true, and I believe it is, church, we should be emboldened to share about Jesus with the majority of people we interact with. Praying for open doors to assume that they are more likely to believe than not. And I think what Jesus says in Matthew nine is a transcultural and timeless truth, because people are hungry for good news. They are desperate for identity. They want freedom from guilt and shame. They're looking for the God shaped hole in their hearts to be filled. In some shape or form, that is your story, my story, as we are Christians. The gospel came to you and to me and saved us and changed us. And we're simply asking in this prayer for God to do it again. God would you do it again? Bring people to yourself and bring me to people that would be receptive to the good news. The gospel didn't come to you and me to stop with us. It came so that you and I would be conduits of the gospel, that it would be going out to the rest of the world, that others would call in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. As we watchfully pray for one another and this world, knowing that we have a God in heaven who is active in our world, who has the the king's heart in his hand and he moves it wherever he pleases. And so we can pray for leaders, we can pray for one another, we can pray boldly knowing that God can change lives and he does. And so we pray to the Lord of the harvest. People far and wide, big and small would come to believe in Jesus. This week I had hoped to have these invitations for our Easter services printed. This morning you might have seen your email already where I sent you a digital version. Over the coming weeks I invite you to send that invitation to people or to pick up the physical invitation this coming week that it would begin a conversation with somebody about Jesus. Pray preemptively that God would lead you to someone who would be receptive and I believe that he will. This does not mean that every person that you think of or that you approach will hear you out. That's simply unrealistic. But from these prayers and these scriptures it points to a posture that is hopeful and engaged instead of cynical and passive. God has called us to participate in this mission and this begins with watchful prayer for one another and the world. And as I say this, some of you are like, well Jim I do this. I already do pray for other people at our church. I already do pray for opportunities to share the gospel. And to you I say continue to do so brother or sister. And my encouragement to you is encourage others to do the same. How amazing would it be that the application of this sermon would be a prayer meeting that we would gather as a church praying for one another and praying that God would save the lost. That is the right response to what Paul is saying right here in Colossians. And church, would we want to respond in such a way calling out to our God because he is faithful and true. Missions doesn't end with prayer. It is just the beginning. And this leads us to our second point. It leads us to witness, a wise witness. Look at me at verses 5 and 6. Here we are called to witness in wisdom. This is both a call to obedience as seen in Ephesians 5. As Paul calls for pure speech, for sobriety, for thoughtful living. Wisdom is not just morality but it is also judicial in knowing how to apply one's knowledge to a situation. Wisdom is the ability to use our knowledge and employ it correctly. Many of you are experts in many fields. And just because you know those ideas or truths doesn't mean that it is to be applied in every single situation. You have particular solutions or particular words that are used in particular circumstances. And to a wise witness, it is employing knowledge prudently and correctly. It is not just knowing the right things, it is utilizing it correctly. To walk in wisdom towards the outsider is knowing how to live among those who are not Christians. And for most of us, that walking in wisdom is everywhere and every day except for being at church or maybe in your home. The question is, do we make the best use of our time in all those different circumstances? Time is the one resource in life that is truly finite. You cannot make more of it. What Paul calls us to hear is to purpose our lives well among those who do not know Jesus. That we would intentionally seek to live in a way that uses our most precious asset, most precious asset well, time. We are limited on time. One day we will be out of time. But the time that you and I have on earth with those who do not know Jesus, how will we use it? Will we use it well or will we squander it? This does not mean that every conversation that you or I have with an unbeliever needs to begin with. Well, have you met my friend Jesus? That's not what Paul is saying here. That's not what I'm saying here this morning. Paul tells us in verse 6 what this wisdom in conversation and in life should look like. It begins with our words. Our words are to be gracious, seasoned with salt, answering the other person well. Meaning that our words are being beneficial, doing a work of undeserved benefit towards that individual. That the words are flavoring the conversation, that the preserving life, presenting truth, just like salt does with food. Our words are not called to be weapons. You and I do not need to be the people that drop truth bombs. That's the business of influencers. Even them, I don't think that they should be living that way. We are called to a form of speech that is forthcoming, yes, truthful, that is beneficial and beautiful. Knowing how to answer each person is truly an art form. And some of you are like, I don't know if I know that art. But as we pray, as we ask God to fill us and lead us, I trust that he will give you the words to say in those circumstances. But so often we think God will not or that we should not speak and so we simply restrain ourselves. But at times where we do speak, we speak maybe rashly or quickly or flippantly. Having our lack of wisdom, our lack of grace, our lack of knowledge. Paul is calling us to witness as if our words were a wonderful meal. That they were this meal that set forth that is tasty, that is good, that is nourishing, that the things that you have to say are the best of your table. And even if they're not, just simply giving people what you have can be beneficial to them. Can be beneficial to the outsider. The meal does not need to be expensive to be good. Think about your tables. You don't have to use the five dollar words of sanctification and glorification and justification. You don't need to do that. You can simply use the ingredients that God gives you that are on hand to flavor your speech, to nourish your hearers with what you are saying. Not talking past them, but talking to them. Not making assumptions or presumptions, leading to lengthy arguments that weren't even mentioned in the conversation. Instead, we are to wisely witness by speaking to the person that God leads us to. That we had addressed them in dignity, wanting for their betterment, not in a posture of condescension. Just trying to give them your best ten minute meal. And if that looks like your words are Uncle Ben's and some broccoli and it's just very simple, may it be a benefit to those who hear you. God doesn't need our eloquence in witness. He just wants our obedience. Everything can feel like it's for super Christians. That it's the job of the pastor, that it's the job of the elders, it's the job of the deacons. But the rest of us do not need to do that. What we see here is that Paul is talking to the whole church of Colossae. He's calling for them to participate in God's mission. Calling the illiterate and the literate, calling the affluent and the needy, calling the officers and the members, the children and the adults to pray and to witness. And in this we are simply partaking in what God is already doing. Evangelism is joining a conversation that God is already having. We believe that God is saving people. He is leading people to Himself to repent and believe. And we are simply to witness to what God is doing and has done. God doesn't need us to be lawyers defending Him. We are simply called to witness. That our lives among outsiders would be reflective of the change that has taken place that we have experienced as a result of the gospel. Having experienced who God is and the personal work of Jesus Christ, you're simply called to share your experience, to share the simple knowledge that you already have. If somebody asks you a question and you don't know the answer to it, it's okay to say, I don't know. Being individuals who are honest in evangelism and in witness is part of wisdom. Wisdom knows that it does not need to pretend. Wisdom knows to be measured. Wisdom knows that God is the one who changes lives, not us. And so it can take the weight off. We are simply called to witness. When asking one of my mentors what was the biggest lesson that he has learned in his many years of ministry, he said to me, Jim, each year I learn more and more that I have such a small part in lives being changed. It's not up to me. I'm simply called to be faithful. And that's a message to us, not just pastors, to be faithful with our lives. Stop putting undue pressure on ourselves for the results. But we are called, as Paul tells us to, or Paul says elsewhere, some will be called to plant, some will be called to water, but it is God who gives us growth. So even as we prayed this morning, we are called to patience for the results. Somebody might respond quickly to you sharing the gospel with them. Some might be resistant. Some might take years to be like that person, you are right. Jesus is Lord. We are simply called to be faithful where God has placed you, whether at work or the coffee shop, at school or the gym, at the store or at the park. Would we be willing to be faithful with our time and the people that God has entrusted us with? Looking for open doors and that we would simply just walk through it. Trying to give some, these people beneficial conversation that will benefit them and enrich them. And I don't say all of this to neglect good works, being a good Samaritan. I say this in addition, taking care of people's physical needs and spiritual needs. This action of walking and wisdom is both words and deeds. I've been told as I've been in bed for just for a little while, the people around us, there's not many marginalized individuals who need things or need meals in our part of the city. And just because they are not needing for a meal doesn't mean that they are not spiritually needy. The people around us, regardless of how affluent they are or how affluent they are not, they are people without a shepherd. Living in darkness, not knowing what they were created for, that they were created for life with God now and forever. And we are simply called to present to them these truths, that they would know God, that they would obey Him and follow Him. You've heard over the last few weeks, me mention that our church is to be a city on a hill. And quite literally, we are a building that's perched on a hill, giving light and life to whomever walks through our doors. But may we also go out that people would have light wherever you go so that they don't simply just have to come to us in this building, that they would know Christ wherever you go. What would it look like for us as a church to maybe corporately go across to DeWolf Park and witness there? That people would know Jesus. The world sure might need some wealth, might need some food, might need some better policy, but ultimately what this world needs and what our community needs is the good news of Jesus Christ. And so may this text take us to both corporate and personal evangelism. Each of us are presented with opportunities at school or work in the grocery store among family that I as your pastor, I'm not privy to. So would you and I make the best use of our time? The temptation with a sermon like this is to simply brush it off and continue to be a bystander because it's overwhelmingly difficult or scary to put yourself in a vulnerable position to share about Jesus. I get that. The temptation will be to continue to be a bystander and think that somebody else will do it. And church that's that might be true. Somebody else might do it. But how amazing would it be that we would be a church that chooses to obey this truth? Not somebody else. God has called you or and equipped you and sent you to walk in wisdom amongst outsiders making the best use of our time. The question is, will you squander your time, your gifts and the people? Will you seek to obey and faith, trusting God for the results? My hope is that you trust and obey knowing that is our God who is on mission. What I've said this morning is that we are participating in the mission that God is already on and our God from the beginning of scripture to the end of scripture points and reveals to us that he has been on mission to save his people, that he sent his son, that people would believe in him, that he would die for their sins. And you and I have a simple time now to emulate our saviour Jesus Christ, to embody him, reflecting him so others would see him and witness his glory and his grandeur, that they were spawned with gratitude. But ultimately, it is God who is working and we are simply called to participate. And so would we trust and ask and now be emboldened in faith, knowing that God cares, that he loves and that he goes before you and with you to accomplish his mission to reconcile sinners to himself. If you take anything away this morning, church, maybe this, that is God's mission. And he is called all who believe to participate in it. And so if you have believed, may you participate. If you've yet to believe you are whom we are speaking to, may you believe and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, that you may know him and love him. My prayer is that we will be a people that know this and obey this. Let us pray.