Don't Miss Your Opportunity, p.2

Well, grab your copy of the scriptures and let's go back to Colossians chapter 4. Colossians chapter 4 as we Come to part two. Of this message that I've entitled, Don't Miss the Opportunity.

Now, while you're turning there, Just a brief update. This week, they should be putting in these front speakers and the steps.

So, that those of us who sit on the front will hear things as they're spoken and sung, and not after they bounce off the wall three or four times. That'll be nice. But they had to get this far to get that done, and then not this week, but the next week, we should see some finishes. Being applied.

So that'll be exciting. I saw some of the hardwood. Back behind the pulpit area. It's going to be beautiful. Look forward to seeing all that come together.

All right, Colossians chapter 4. Four. Would you turn there? Colossians chapter 4. Beginning in verse 2, going through verse 6, the Apostle Paul's writing from prison.

To the church at Colossi, and like most of his epistles, he hits item after item. that they need to be understanding and making application into their lives. And here he says something about his own situation, or at least his own calling. One of the real interesting things here is at this point. He doesn't say anything about his situation, i.e., being in prison.

He just talks about. His work that he's committed to do. And then he shifts gears and he talks about the church members or our work we're all to be doing. in reaching others with the gospel. Verse 2, Colossians chapter 4.

Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving. Praying at the same time for us as well.

Now that's Paul and Timothy. That God will open up to us a door for the word.

So that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ for which I have also been imprisoned. that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak.

Now he shifts his gears. To you. Conduct yourselves. with wisdom toward outsiders. making the most of the opportunity.

Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt.

So that you will know how you should respond to each. Person. You remember how Andrew The Bible says he first found his brother Peter and he brought him to Jesus. In Acts 16, the Bible speaks of how the gospel flows through. Pre-established relationships very often.

Lydia and her whole household, the Bible says, were saved. That's the way God intends for us to reach others. Looking around in what I would call our circle of influence. The word here for household, we'll look at a couple of others. It's the word oikos.

It means your spouse, your children. But very often it means your servants, your slaves, your work associate, your partners perhaps in business.

So it could be a larger circle than just the nuclear family, but it was people that you had a regular influence or interaction with. In Acts chapter 16, the jailer. Is concerned about what's going to happen to him as an earthquake has occurred and Peter and Silas are released, and Peter looks at him and says, If you'll believe, you'll be saved and your whole household. The jailer would then be used to win the rest of Christ. John chapter 4, Jesus heals the nobleman's son.

And it says he himself believed and his. Household.

So God intends for all of us to get in on this. Title of the sermon, Don't Miss Our Opportunities. In our own circles of influence, who we work with, who we go to school with, who we know in the neighborhood, or maybe we shop with them and buy from their companies or their store, whatever it is. Who are those people around you? Don't miss those opportunities.

Yeah The Bible says in Matthew 28:8:2 through 20, that we're to go into all the world and make disciples of all the nations. Baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I've commanded you. And Lord, I'm with you always. Even to the end of the age.

Well, who was that to? Who was that commandment given to? By our Lord, right before he ascended back up into heaven, it was given to preachers and to the laity. Alike. All of us can be.

Witnesses for Christ. In Acts 8:4, it says, All of those who were persecuted and scattered went about. Preaching the word. That doesn't mean they all were God-called preachers, but they went about sharing and proclaiming Christ to all of those they ran into. There are unique times, like on the day of Pentecost, when God's power is mightily saving people and wonderful things were happening.

I wish we could see some more of that. But in the day-to-day, workaday world that you and I live in, we ought to be looking for those. that we can share something of the things of Christ with. God intends for all of us. I like to say this a lot as a team.

to be about reaching others with the gospel. Not all of us are John the Baptist with a bold preaching, maybe a personality, and certainly I'm not supposed to be. But we can all be witnesses. to someone. And friend day that's coming up in just a few weeks is a perfect Perfect opportunity.

To reach out to others. I was thinking about this earlier this morning, how Baptists through the decades. Have had one program after another program after another program after another program to try to help us reach people with the gospel. And to be honest, I appreciate what I believe were sincere efforts, but a lot of them were Mildly biblical at times, and I was uncomfortable, but they were too gimmicky. But the idea of just finding a friend.

Somebody in your household, your oikos.

Somebody you have interaction with, and saying, Come with me to church. And by the way, no bait and switch here at all. No manipulation or scheming. It's simply: come with me, be my friend at my church. I want you to hear the gospel with me on Sunday.

Very clear, very simple, very easy. It's a great way, and almost no one, I can't imagine, I've never heard it. would be offended by you saying, come with me. and be my friend on Friday at my church. In 1 Corinthians 9:22, Paul says he's become all things to all men that he might somehow save some.

By all means is actually the actual wording. All means I might save some, not all are going to come to Christ.

Now you may ask the question, well, we're Reformed Baptists. We believe in the scriptures. We believe in predestination and election. But you know, here's the interesting thing: the more people we share the gospel with, the more elect we find. You remember Spurgeon's illustration that if God had put a yellow stripe down the back of all the elect, we could just run around town lifting their shirt tails up and see who the elect were, and we'd witness to them.

We're not to do that. We're to share the gospel with all men everywhere, and encouraging and urging every single person. If you will believe, God will save you. Amen? We are not what is called a hyper-Calvinist.

They warp and pervert the doctrine of God's sovereignty. All men are responsible to repent and believe the gospel. And we are to bring the gospel to all. Mian.

So let's pray for the lost. Let's pray for those that we might can help reach. and not miss our opportunity. Before we go any further, just a brief review of where we were last time. As we talked about, prayer is the key.

That was Roman numeral 1. As Paul just has sort of a general statement on prayer, he says, devote yourselves to prayer. In verse 2. Two. keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving.

Devoting yourself means make it a lifestyle pattern. A purpose to persevere. Never let yourself be far from Communion with God in your heart. Do that. And he says, an attitude of thanksgiving.

And when you think about it, how can you in any way approach this God to whom every breath you breathe is a gift from him? and not be grateful. Purpose to bring to God the difficult things. Purpose to bring to God. The heartaches and the trial.

And don't thank God for the thing itself, but thank God that He has a purpose for the thing for your good. All things are not good, but all things can work together for the good. When this perfect God who loves us, who is good, who is all-wise, who is all-powerful dictates all things. Brothers and sisters, we don't see the end yet. We don't see the end yet.

But when we do. It will be worth it all, as the song says, when we see Jesus. And then we talk in Romans 2 about the priority of prayer being kingdom advance. And the sub-point there was praying for the pastor. That's foundational for kingdom advance.

God has ordained that the preaching of the word is the hub of the wheel, it's the centerpiece of the church's work. But we're all involved as a team, helping get people under the preaching of the word, sharing our testimony, sharing the gospel as well on a personal level, that God may save some. But Paul says in prison, verse 3. Praying at the same time for us. That's Timothy and Paul again.

Two preachers. That God would open to us a door for the word that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ. which also I've been in prison.

So again, interestingly, Paul doesn't say, pray for me personally, pray for my illness, pray for my weakness. Pray for the circumstance of this awful condition, this prison, this Roman prison I'm in. Nothing wrong with asking for prayer for those things. But Paul's priority is pray that there will be an open door for the gospel. In prison or out of prison, I have a priority about my life.

And I asked you last week, I said, who took me? Taught Paul that. That in everything we have a purpose and a pattern to our life that's above and beyond anything else. That is the glory of God. And building God's kingdom is my purpose.

I read a Puritan just recently, and it was one of those simple statements that you pretty much know, but then someone says it. And the Holy Spirit just applies it to your heart. And he was Talking in the context of a trial or difficulty or A heartache of some kind. And he said In all of those situations, literally in every situation, ask this question.

Now, how can I glorify God in this? Very simple. How can I glorify God? Not how can I get out of this? Not how can I change this circumstance?

Not can I be healed? Those are not wrong, they're just not first. They're not wrong, but they Shouldn't be first. The first thing is always God's glory and the building of God's kingdom, i.e., practically God's church on the earth. Where did Paul get that again?

He got it from Jesus. who gave us what we call the Lord's Prayer. Which we sometimes call the model prayer, which I have begun to call the realignment prayer. That's exactly what it's for. That's why Jesus gave it to the apostles.

When they asked him about prayer, he said, pray in this way. Pray that you'll continually. Be bringing back your heart, your mind, your intention. Your purpose for life to God's glory and the building of God's kingdom. Listen to me, brothers and sisters.

If you will camp there and stay there, peace will be yours. It's not about us. It's not about circumstances.

Now, again, there's balance. I'm not talking about some weird fringe thing. We do live in this world, and there are troubles, and trials, and difficulties. But ask the question: how can I glorify God in this? Or how can I bring God glory and help build his kingdom through this?

That was Paul's priority, and he learned that from Jesus. Jesus said, Pray then in this way, our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be your name. May glory, honor, and praise be of you and to you and for you. Then your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. I believe it's proper to say that second phrase, your kingdom come.

Your will be done on earth as it is to heaven, is the way God will hallow his name. How do your name? And do it by extending your kingdom on earth as it's already full in heaven. It's not full down here yet.

Now, we are a little remnant kingdom, if you will. Every biblically, spiritually, healthy local church is a little remnant embryotic start of the kingdom in the earth. One day it's going to be to the fore. Not yet, though. And so we want to get in on that.

And the more we can. Be a part of Working with God to build his church, his kingdom, and the earth, the more glory he gets. And that's why we're here. Do you understand? There's coming a day when everything but his kingdom will be gone.

Removed. And that's all we'll do for eternity. Is glorify him in his kingdom. You see, we just get in on the early stages of it. We're the pre-act, if you will, before the main thing comes to get things rolling in that direction, so to speak.

So this is what Jesus taught, this is what Paul Paul lives at the And that's the way we should live.

Now, we talked about not just praying for the pastor. As Paul says, pray there'll be an open door for the word. A second part of that is knowing that this is an absolute divine work. That's the practical part B of praying for your pastor. This is an absolute supernatural work.

Preaching the word. Must be accompanied by the power of the sovereign Holy Spirit. Our men's, women's, boys, and girls' hearts will not be transformed.

So we study hard, we work hard, we pray hard. I'm in one of those seasons of my ministry where it is an incredible blessing. To have a deep, deep reservoir of study, 45 years' worth. That when I go to my study and begin to pray about next Sunday's message or whatever I'm working on, there is just almost a Niagara Fall of Resource that comes to my heart and mind from the years of study.

Well, you have to do that. But here, I'm telling you something. It doesn't matter if you're the most brilliant scholar on earth. And you can dot every I and cross every T of Hebrew and Aramaic grammar and Greek grammar. And if you know every doctrine to a T and know all the great rich doctrines of the faith, those are important.

But unless the Spirit of God. Infuses the preaching.

Souls will not be saved, and saints will not be built up.

So you've got to pray. Do you understand? That the precious souls of your own soul, your spouse. Your children, your grandchildren depends upon faithful preaching spirit empowered. That's a humbling place to be, is it not?

So you come to church saying, Oh, God, do that work no man can do. Jeff Knoblit's not the key. Adrian Rogers is not the key. John MacArthur is not the key. We thank God for good men.

Spirit of God has to use them.

So Paul says, pray for us. We're bringing forth, verse 3, this mystery of Christ for which I've been in prison that I may make it clear how I ought to speak. And that gets on to the practical part of it. Everything from Paul is, I think, is saying what I should say and how I should say it to this Jewish audience versus a Greek audience, and how can I not compromise, but I don't want to be overly offensive. I don't offend people.

The gospel does offend people, by the way. You can't take that out. But I don't want to make it some sort of antagonistic spirited thing.

So, just wrestling, and I can't tell you, Sir Pastor, what a battle that is for me. I'm not really good naturally with verbiage. Not a great word, Smith. And the great glorious doctrines of the Bible deserve the very, very best I can give it.

So, you know what? But what I spend a lot of time studying before I preach to you? The the dictionary. What word says this best? And here's the hard part.

Are you listening, all you knuckleheads? Are you listening? I say that because I'm a knucklehead too. Here's what I mean by that. I mean, we don't even speak English.

We speak Southern.

So you go to a classic dictionary, you learn the word, and you think, but we don't say that that way. That's not what it means in Alabama.

So, my point is, you wrestle to say it well. And Paul says, pray, pray, pray for Jeff, noblet. Pray for Brother Matt. Pray for all of us that we will preach, articulating the best we can. I've told Miss Pam this many times before.

I said, you know, I get up there preaching sometimes, and God gives me verbiage I don't naturally have. Maybe that's your prayer. I don't know. It's a supernatural thing. If God's going to save souls through our teamwork, We must pray.

The Spirit of God. would empower the word of God and apply it to the hearts. of the listeners. Do you believe that church? I'm going to tell you something.

We um You know me, if you've been around long enough, we're going to do things, we're going to do them in an excellent way. We're going to strive to do them in an excellent way. You say, Well, Pastor, I know some things that are not excellent right now.

Well, we're not done then. We're still working on it. And that's the way it ought to be. With its children's program, music program, you name the area of the church life, we want to do it in an excellent way. But that's not what builds a church.

It's the Spirit of God. Using the Word of God. In the hearts and lights of inwhit.

So, Paul says, I know this is supernatural work. I need your prayers. Pray for me.

Now, let's move on to new material.

Sorry, I got a little carried away on the old there. It was longer than we needed to be there. But here he just shifts gears. He just shifts gears.

Now, this is directly to you. Church member?

Now he says, for your part, that's not in the text, but Basically, that's what he's saying. For your part, verse five, conduct yourselves with wisdom. toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity.

So Roman 3 is, pray for yourselves. As the pastor's essential co-workers.

Now, on an even more broken-down scale, in your small group, You're a team. You should be praying that we as a team can reach some souls for Christ this year in our small group year. But on a little larger scale, you all of you Looking for an aunt or an uncle or a grandfather or a grandson or a child or a friend or a worker or a relative, whoever it is. that you can help bring the gospel to.

So, in verses 2 through 4, Paul talks about his own calling. Pray for him in that, he says.

Now he says, I want you guys to think about your role.

Well, three sub-points here. Roman number one: talking about pray for yourselves as God's essential co-worker. Don't miss a up your reach your opportunity. Don't mess up. Your opportunity.

Verse five. Conduct yourself with wisdom. Toward Outsiders With wisdom.

Now, he uses the word outsider. That's an interesting word, I guess, to use. John Calvin states it this way. He says, The church is a city of believers, all connected together. By mutual relationship.

We all connected to Christ in relationship. That brings us all together with each other. He says, while unbelievers are Outsiders And that's the biblical phrase that Paul uses here.

So as we think about When we go out into the worker day world, And we're around all kinds of people. And here we are in the Bible Belt.

So you're going to be around a whole lot of people usually. That consider themselves Christians, but have never really been a part of the new birth. The church members, their names are on a roll, perhaps. And they'll be fine and decent people. As far as the culture is concerned, but as far as knowing Christ, They don't know Christ.

They're outsiders. And so it's a challenging, it's a complicated role. To not be demeaning, again, not to be overly antagonistic and critical. but purpose to try to reach those kind of folks. It's refreshing when you go some places around the country and mostly around the world.

Where people just carte blanche right up front, I'm not a Christian. We don't see much of that in the southeast. It's more challenging down here to discern. What's really going on?

So as we go out there, we don't want to mess up. In our Oikos, our household, our circles of influence. and mess up our opportunity. To be a witness for Jesus Christ. Three practical sub-points here that will certainly.

Mess up.

Okay. Your opportunity. To be a witness for Christ. One deals with your tongue, one deals with your ears, and one deals with your actions. You're going to have to watch your tongue.

Watch ears. Kinda hard to do unless you have a mirror, isn't it? Watch your tongue, watch your ears and watch your actions. Or you might mess up. The opportunity you have.

In watching your speech, two or three thoughts I jotted down here. No profane speech. In your workplace, in the school setting, in the neighborhood. And I'm talking about specific profane words, but much more than that. A profane spirit People understand.

Even those who are furthest from God know that a Christian shouldn't speak certain ways. I shouldn't. Hulk certain ways. And if you do that.

Now, if you're around somebody a long time, something may slip. I think the idea here is more of a pattern that marks who you are. Versus a rare exception. That is in your life.

So, watch things that are profane in the sense that you're one who tells untruths. You're one who is profane. prone to exaggerations. You're one who is prone to drama and a lot of drama. Drama is just lying.

You're just stretching and blowing things up. Could do a whole lot of that. It's going to be hard to turn around and bring to people the soul bring. and glorious truths of Christ. You're going to mess up your opportunity.

Don't be the kind of person that explains away the obvious because if you're the loudest in the room, you'll get people to your side. You're going to mess up your opportunity. You're going to diminish your capacity to be a faithful witness. And here's another one. Just too much speech.

Try not to be the guy that's always talking. Too much speech. James 1:19 says, This you know, my beloved brethren, but everyone must be. Quick to hear. Slow to speak.

And slow to anger.

So watch how you speak. Watch your tongue in the world out there when you're around outsiders, unbelievers. Because Something may happen, and all of a sudden there's an open door to be a witness for Christ. And they'll think, well, I've heard the way you talk. I don't think you know this Christ.

Number two, watch how you listen. Probably expansion of that amplification of that would be, or to whom you listen. Proverbs 14:7 says, To leave the presence of a fool, or you will not discern words of wisdom. You're in the neighborhood, and there's this particularly obnoxious neighbor that everybody knows. They're just.

Well How would we say it in conversation? Common street vinegar. They're just crazy. But if you're a guy and you're always wanting to hang with that guy or that lady and And run with that guy, that lady, you're identifying, you're gonna tarnish your own image, and you're gonna. Mess up.

a witnessing opportunity to someone else later on. You're not to be Listening to fools. Not to be listening to fools. Migrate away from unsavory people. Here's a catch.

Are you listening? Especially migrate away from unsavory people if they profess to be believers. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 5:11, but actually I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother. If he's an immoral person or covetous or an idolater or a reviler or a drunkard or a swindler, not even to eat with such a one. That gets over and our Last point a little bit, but nevertheless.

Be careful who you are. are known to listen to you. You know, it's so effective, and you've seen this. I've seen this, and it so impresses me. When I see a person of high principles, And they're in the hearing, or they're listening maybe in a group to a person who is not a person of high protection.

They're an unsavory person. Person. And that person is kind. But they make it clear, I'm not going to be a part of this conversation. That's a great way to do that.

And what that does is others watch your kindness.

So, I think that's a good idea. an obstinate or a harsh tone, but a kind spirit and how you Change the conversation or move away from that conversation. The unbeliever, the outsider, as Paul's talking to me here, sees that and it registers to them. That's not the way most people would handle that. Most people would Put on a front of false spirituality and be harsh and correcting and ugly spirited to that person.

who was unsavory. But instead this person was kind, but they just didn't participate in it. Paul's going to elaborate on that very spirit here in a moment. And that connects closely to the third problem. practical way, you can certainly mess up your opportunity to be a witness.

Watch how you act. Are you a person given to anger? The Bible says to be slow to anger. Are you a person that's generally disrespectful to those who are in authority, or just others in general, perhaps? Are you a person who's given to a pattern of immoralities?

And that's kinda known. In your circle? Are you a person who's given to unwholesome and indecent entertainments? First Peter four, three and four. Paul writing to the Christians who came out of Gentile pagan indulgences.

And here's what he says to them. For the time already passed, that is before you came to Christ. Is sufficient for you to have carried out the desires of the Gentiles. Having pursued a course of sensuality. Lust Drunkenness.

Carousings. Drinking parties. and abominable idolatries. In all of this, they're surprised that you do not run with them into the same excess of dissipation, and they malign you. If you find yourself regularly going to the kind of carousing and drinking parties, et cetera, that.

Peter's talking about here. Don't expect those in your circle of influence to be very open to you. When you want to bring a gospel witness. I used to argue with a lot of my college friends when I was in college because of the Greek. Organizations, and they would say, Well, we're going to get in one, but we're going to be a witness and all this stuff.

And I'm not saying that. That's absolutely wrong, but I could never see how you could be part of an organization and give your monies to put on drinking parties and at the same time be there for Jesus. Those things just kind of don't go together.

So, watch your speech. Watch your ears. Be careful of the people you hang around and listen to, and watch your ears. Behavior. Are you going to mess up your opportunity?

Do you understand if you get up in the morning Listen, Timmy. and realign yourself with the model prayer. Say, okay, God, today's not about the business. It's not about the office. It's not about the profits.

It's not about working toward my retirement. Nope, that's okay. That's good stuff. But my priority today is the glory of God in building his kingdom.

So, God, when I begin to step over into something that's going to mess up my opportunity. to be a witness. Help me, Lord. Show me. Don't let me mess up my opportunity.

Now I'm going to give you a strong word of hope because you know what? Every single one of us, to some dimension, Have had an occasion to mess up our opportunity. The Apostle Paul. Was wrongly charged.

Well According to their law, rightly charged, but before God's law, who was wrongly charged. Was wrongly charged by the Jewish High Court. Of being a blasphemer. Being anti-god. Not a Jehovah worshipper, if you will, because he embraced Christ.

They bring him before the court. Paul doesn't know exactly who he's before, but he knows they're high-up authorities. And Paul begins to tell them that he's honored God from his childhood. What he means was: I was a faithful Jew. Have always been a faithful Jew.

And when he said, I've honored God from my childhood. The high priest, Paul didn't know he was the high priest, but the high priest spoke to the garden and said, Pop him in the mouth. And he. pops him in the mouth. Paul got mad, looks like.

Paul said, You whitewashed tomb, somebody's going to pop you in the mouth. That's the. North Alabama translation of the verse. But he does say hit you. And then someone spoke up and said, How dare you?

Talk to the high priest that way. which did violate Jewish law. Immediately, Paul asks for forgiveness. He didn't say those words, but he says. Oh, I did not know he was the high priest.

Paul, under the authority of Scripture, immediately humbled himself. And you Actually Sometimes you'll gain more of a hearing. By humbling yourself before others who are unbelievers and just saying, I know Christ, and I'm a follower of Christ, but I failed him here. And I wished I'd been a better example. I've had to do that before.

Mm-hmm. I hate to even say this. Because now I look back at it, it was so childish. I have actually had to. Go to some referees.

After a ball game. And say, man, I'm sorry, I didn't use profane words. But I was real clear about how I felt about How they called the game. And ask their forgiveness. I thought, here I am, pastor of the largest church in this area.

And I just I can't I can't do that. And I think I did better after that. But they did foul her a lot and did call it. But You will, honestly, you will. Repair your opportunity.

by just being humble. Nobody's expecting you to live perfectly out there with the outsiders, but you can be humble. Take responsibility when you mess up. And watch God use that to open people's hearts. and give you that opportunity.

Much shorter, but more quickly moving through. Don't mess up your opportunity, Paul says. Conduct yourself wisely. Wise walking means don't mess it up. Don't do something to mess up your opportunity.

Look down at our text again, chapter 4. We come to the last phrase of verse 5: making the most of the opportunity.

Now, here's the difference: it's not just a continuation, it's kind of a different thought here. What I say here is, don't miss your opportunity. Don't miss it. When it happens, don't miss it. And brothers and sisters, with Friend Day coming up, that is a very practical, easy.

Way to invite someone to hear the gospel. Don't miss it. Actually, the Greek, original Greek verbiage here is the idea of snatching something up. It means going to the marketplace, and you think, Boy, that's never been so cheap. And you snatch them up right quick before somebody else buys them.

That's what he means. Don't miss it. Don't miss the opportunity. He would also be like a man who is Buying wholesale and he finds something that's really a good item and it's really inexpensive, he buys them all up because he can resell them and make a good profit. Snatch them up.

Snatch them up while you can. And that's what God is saying. You're going to work, you're going to the school, you're going to workplace, and somebody's hurting, somebody's spouse left them, something's going on. That's an opportunity. Don't miss it.

God uses those things. Because people to hear a word about Christ.

So don't miss those opportunities. Snatch them up. Before they get away, snatching up souls. Before the judgment day arrives.

Well, don't mess up your opportunity. Don't miss an opportunity out there. And thirdly, Do mitz. Your words. You know what a minced onion is, don't you?

You're just very careful, and you chop them up quite fine. You put a little thought and effort to it. And that's what he's saying. You're going to have to. Measure your words and chop them up well, and try to find out what's the best way to present the gospel.

And you're witness and you're Fellowship with Christ as you speak to others. He says it there in verse 6: let your speech always be with grace. As though seasoned with salt. A.T. Robertson, the Baptist Greek scholar, says.

About thee with grace, even the smallest leaf of the believer should be full of the sap. of the Holy Spirit. Carefully Flavor your words with grace. Are you listening to me? Listen to me.

That means you're always looking. to be canned when they know they don't deserve it. That's grace. Are you with me, church? You're with these people, you're working with these people, you go to school with these people.

And They might do something ugly to you or whatever it is. And you always look for ways to be kind to those who know they don't deserve it. That's speech seasoned with grace. That will help you get an open opportunity to say even more to people. Let your speech be with grace.

Be joyous, but not obnoxiously so. Be serious, but not with gloom. In Luke 4:22, the Bible says, And all were speaking well of him. That's Jesus. And wondering at the gracious words which were falling from his lips.

And what they were saying, is this not Joseph's son? Then season with salt, same ideas, but you know, salt has to be balanced. Uh, some salt's wonderful, makes everything better, too much is awful. I think the idea is balance here. Be full of wisdom and earnestness with the appropriate amount of gracious instruction and exhortation, but not too much.

Pray for these. God, give me grace when I speak. God, give me words that are seasoned with salt as I speak. Pray for these. Here's one thing, and we used to do this a lot, and boy, I just got convicted of it years ago.

Learning all of these, I call them the Acme Soul Winners kit. You have all these things to say, all these questions, all these statements. As if this person's a project or they're some sort of programmed robot, you're trying to get the right formula in there. No, they're real human beings. You don't see any of that in Paul's ministry, John's ministry, Peter's ministry, Jesus' ministry.

They just lived real. and talked about God. And the realness and the realities of who Christ is.

Now, don't misunderstand me. It's good to maybe memorize and learn a few statements you want to remember. I love the statement when I'm talking to someone and maybe get to know them a little bit and say this to them. Where are you in your Spiritual pilgrimage. What do you understand about the things of God?

Where are you in that wall? Where are you in your spiritual pilgrimage? Opens up doors often to witness. And sometimes, folks, the opportunity just is unbelievable. I was flying home from Europe.

And sitting next to me on the flight was a girl. She could have been 18, 19 years of age, and she had her backpack. We got to talking a little bit. When I see girls that young, I immediately kind of want to talk to them, see what they're doing. It might be my girls.

And she said she had been to Europe for the summer. And she just hacked and Lived off the land, so to speak. What are those places? The hostels, staying in hostels, and just. See in Europe.

By herself. My first thought, where is your father? I'd like to talk to him. And she said, Yeah, but while I've been traveling, I've been studying. She said, I've been taking an internet course.

And I said, well, what course are you taking? She said, comparative religions. I said, what are you studying right now? She said, right now I'm studying the doctrines of Paul, the doctrine of justification by faith. Opportunity.

I've never had anything. I mean, you've got to be kidding me. And so. For the rest of the flight, I explained to her the doctrine. Of justification by far, they're just the gospel of salvation.

What are the odds of that? Don't miss your opportunity. That was a An amazing event. Never had anything like that happen before. But here's my point.

Don't be rehearsed. Don't be robotic. Just be real. Let's be real. But you know a Savior that saves sinner, and you're the worst sinner you know.

And he saved you. Have you learned? Told you this many times. When the Mormons come to my door, I bought them in. And I tell you now, what do y'all want me to do?

And they said, well, you really need to fly out to Utah and get.

Something in the temple and all this stuff. I said, Here's a d you don't understand. Do you know what a sinner I am? You know how vile, depraved, and rotten to the core I am? If you tell me I have to perform anything, I'll mess it up.

Is this all you've got? telling me certain things I've got to do because I'll mess those up. And they do not know how to respond to that. Because they want to argue that they're doing the right things, and you're not quite there yet until you become a Mormon.

Well, I want to tell them I can't do anything before a holy God but be condemned. And I would tell them, if it's not totally by grace, Men, I'm sunk. I have no hope. The full complete Unearned Forgiveness. By this gracious and holy God, Be real.

Don't be rehearsed. Don't be robotic. Be a co laborer with your pastors in reaching the lost. Don't mess up your opportunities. Don't miss your opportunities.

And do mince your words. Try to be gracious and kind. Let your speech be with grace and seasoned with salt. the right amount of exhortation, but kindness. Winsomeness.

and speaking to others. Heard this many, many years ago. Jesus is Daddy's Risen from the dead, he ascends back up into heaven. He gets into heaven, they're all praising Christ for perfectly finishing the task. He fulfilled the responsibilities of the office of Messiah.

He purchased the children on the cross. An angel comes up to Jesus and said, Jesus, you you You were born of the virgin and you lived in that vile, wicked, depraved world, but you never sinned and they. Hated you, and they spat upon you, and they slandered and lied. Put a spin on everything you said and did to make you look in the worst light. They called you the devil.

They they they they they falsely accused you and Nailed you to a cross and more abuse and A crown of thorns on your head, and you die taking the weight of the sin of the world on you. You were buried, you've rose again, you've ascended back up into heaven. Jesus. Who's going to tell everybody? He's going to tell everybody this message.

And Jesus said, I. I've left it in the hands of twelve men. And the angel said, well, what if they fail? Jesus said, I have no other plan. There's a reality there.

You're part of the plan. Paul said, pray for us preachers. But pray for yourselves as you go out. Don't mess up your opportunities. Don't miss them.

Friend Day is a great one to take advantage of. And do mince your words. Speak with kindness. Not robotic, not rehearsed. genuineness.

About your own sin and the greatness of your Savior. Mm-hmm.