Col

Col. 1:9-14

11/5/2006

“We Have Not Ceased to Pray for You”

In the previous section, in which Paul gives thanks to God for the Colossians’ faith in Christ and their love for all the saints, we have seen the goodness and the power of the gospel. Now we move on to Paul’s prayer for the Colossians. Here, too, we see the glorious power of the gospel manifested in Paul’s prayer for them. Today’s sermon will be just the introduction. We will delve into the specific contents of his prayer next time.

As we take even a cursory look at Paul’s prayer, we are struck by the glory of his prayer--the loftiness of its subject. His prayer makes us forget that it was in a prison in Ephesus that he was praying this prayer. In fact, there is no mention of his imprisonment throughout the whole letter until the very last verse: “I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you” (4:18). So we consider this letter to the Colossians as one of Paul’s four prison letters (along with Ephesians, Philippians and Philemon).

Let us not lose sight of this important context of Paul’s prayer--his imprisonment. Yes, Paul himself does not spend a lot of time on this subject: just four words (in Greek). If you were writing a letter from prison, wouldn’t you talk about all the discomforts and miseries of your prison life? But all that Paul says about his imprisonment is in just four words. The very fact that he does not dwell on his imprisonment and all the suffering he faced is itself a very powerful message, isn’t it? Consider the obvious contrast of temperament or spirit between Paul’s prayer and the many prayers in the Old Testament. In Paul’s prayer--not only this one but all of his prayers recorded in the New Testament--there is no tinge of complaint and grumbling directed against God for his troubles. But listen to some of the excerpts from the Psalms.

· “How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me” (Ps. 13:1)?

· “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning” (Ps. 22:1)?

· “Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped” (Ps. 73:1, 2--do you sense the sarcasm in these words?).

· “O God, you have rejected us, broken our defenses; you have been angry; oh, restore us” (Ps. 60:1).

You get the point, don’t you? It is not that the Old Testament prayers do not have the most glorious praise and thanksgiving to the Lord. And it is not that even these psalms of complaint and lament do not end with triumphant reaffirmations of God’s covenant faithfulness to His people. For sure, the Old Testament saints had the same salvation through the same Savior and the same Spirit that effected salvation in their hearts. However, their experience of salvation was in the Savior to come whereas ours is in the Savior that has already come. Is there any experiential difference between having a promise and having that promised fulfilled! Of course! And that is the difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament temperaments of prayer. Jesus cried out on the cross, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?” With this prayer of lament Jesus embraced all the miseries and sufferings of our life, all the curses and condemnation of the law, all our bitter cries of lament and grief. And having taken them away from us and having embraced them all with His nail-pierced hands, He died with them and was buried with them so as to set us free from them once for all. And He was raised from the dead in glorious triumph to give us a new life.

Does this, should this, affect the spirit, the temperament, of our prayer? How can it not change the way we pray? Our attitude? Because of Christ’s death and resurrection on our behalf, “[i]lls have no weight and tears no bitterness. Where is death’s sting? where, grave, thy victory” (“Abide with Me: Fast Falls the Eventide”)? You see a marvelous demonstration of this in Paul’s prayers and the prayers of the Apostles. Although Paul was in prison--not for any wrong he had done but for his good work of testifying to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ--he was not complaining or grumbling. The glory of the gospel enabled him to neglect in a most amazing way his personal sufferings and woes. Not that he did not feel the pain of his hardships. He was not some kind of a superhero who did not feel the sting of the whipping and lashing cracking on his back: he felt each and every one of them. But he was gripped by the surpassing glory of the gospel. The gospel showed him that his life in Christ was a lot more than about himself. He was called to live a life truly worth the living. The eternal weight of the glory of the gospel, the eternal weight of God’s grace that saved him from sin and hell, made all his afflictions in this life--no matter how great and painful--only too light and too slight in comparison.

This is an obvious point but let me reiterate. Paul prayed in prison. His imprisonment could not stop him from praying. Think about the radical significance of this fact in light of what the prison represented. The prison did not just mean physical confinement. The prison, as small as it was, signified nothing less than all the opposition to the gospel. The prison represented all the murderous rage of the Jewish religious leaders. The prison represented the power and authority of the Roman Empire. The prison represented all the schemes and attacks of the Satanic forces. And the prison represented the impending threat of death. Yet, the imprisonment could not stop Paul from praying! Neither could all those things that the prison represented stop him from praying! That is the power of the gospel.

How do you pray? What is the temperament of your prayer? What is your attitude in prayer, especially when you are faced with adversities and woes? Does it reflect the glorious power of the gospel in your life? Do you keep your eyes on the glorious power of the gospel even as you pray rather than just focusing on the trials of life?

As we see in our passage, the glorious power of the gospel enabled Paul to pray even in prison. What does one do when in prison? The ancient regimes were not so concerned about the well-being of their prisoners. The prison was supposed to serve as a deterrent to crime and rebellion. Of course, even in the ancient world, they recognized different degrees of crime. There were, therefore, different types of imprisonment: one could be thrown into a dark, damp, mice- and cockroaches-infested, underground dungeon or one could be simply under house arrest. We don’t know what kind of imprisonment Paul faced in Ephesus. But no matter what kind, one thing was sure: even the most benign form of incarceration imposed a severe restriction on one’s freedom. Paul was confined to a small space. He could not step outside for a stroll in the neighborhood. Whom he could see and when he could see them were restricted. The suffocating, maddening familiarity of a small prison cell could easily drive one crazy.

What would you do if you were in prison? It is true that, when in prison, the only thing you have in abundance is time. This could drown many in boredom. Some may manage to take advantage of the abundant supply of time and do something constructive. In fact, some of the most famous writings were written in jail. John Bunyan wrote The Pilgrim’s Progress in prison. Some of the more famous writings of the late Martin Luther King, Jr., were written during his imprisonment. (By mentioning him, I am not endorsing his theology.) Paul too wrote four prison letters in the Bible.

But Paul did not just write letters. He also prayed. In v. 3 we read, “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you….” He also says in v. 9, “And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you….” We don’t know what it means to pray without ceasing practically. Surely, Paul did not just pray 24/7--even when he was in jail! He had to eat. He had to sleep. And I’m sure he wasn’t praying when he was writing this letter! But this much we know, as many commentators suggest: he prayed at least three times a day, as it was a Jewish custom. And these three daily prayers were not just short meal-time prayers. Nor were they some incantations that he memorized and recited as a ritual. Paul’s prayers were deeply personal and genuine, passionate and reverent, flowing directly out of his heart, as we see in our passage. And he must have actively and longingly sought times to pray throughout the day above and beyond the three appointed times of prayer. Even when he could not engage in prayer exclusively, he must have remained in a prayerful spirit throughout the whole day, being conscious of God’s abiding presence and his constant dependence on the Lord. For we know, from Paul’s other writings, how central prayer was to his life and ministry. His communion with God was the air he breathed. It was not his incarceration (and all that free time) that made him pray because he had nothing better to do. Being imprisoned might have increased his time of prayer. But his prayer in prison was not an extraordinary occurrence, an exception in his life, but a continuation of his lifestyle.

Many of us say that we don’t have time to pray: we are just too busy. But how legitimate is that excuse when our “busy” daily schedule includes an hour or two (and even more) hours of watching T.V. or playing video games? Yes, we do need some time to relax and unwind from the stresses of our busy schedule. I once heard of a business executive, whose schedule is in fifteen-minute blocks, every one of which is filled and accounted for. Let us say that we are that busy. And let’s say that a block of thirty minutes opened up unexpectedly because of a cancelled meeting. Then do we pray? Or do we use that time to catch up on your ever-lacking relaxation time? Or do we do other “urgent” things, the other chores, that we did not have the time for. And what about during our vacation, when we take time off from our “busy” schedule? Now that we have some time, do we pray?

Deep inside we know that the ultimate problem is not what is outside of us but inside, not our external circumstances but the inner condition of our heart. Surely, it is not that we can’t pray but that we don’t want to pray! If we really wanted to pray, would there be anything that could stop us from praying? Daniel continued to pray three times a day even when he knew that he would be thrown into a lion’s den for praying to God. Paul continued to pray even when he was thrown into jail. And we have and worship the same God that they prayed to. If we don’t pray, it is not because we don’t have the time to pray; it is because we don’t have the desire and the will to pray.

Am I laying a guilt trip on you? Yes, I am! Of course it is wrong, deadly wrong, to bind someone’s conscience for things other than what God commands in His Word. And it is equally wrong for you to succumb to the pressures of men and allow your conscience--freed by the blood of Jesus Christ--to be bound by man-made regulations. But there is nothing wrong with feeling guilty for the wrongs we have done. Christ took away the guilt of our sins by bearing the punishment of our sins, not by eliminating and invalidating guilt itself. That is what modern psychology tries to do, not the gospel. In the gospel it is we who are cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ; it is not sin itself that is sanitized by His blood as if sin were no longer bad or evil, no longer causing any guilty feelings. And that is what is so wonderful about the gospel: it offers a real solution to a real problem. It does not try to dismiss the problem of sin by making it seem like it is innocuous and harmless. In the gospel sin is recognized for what it really is--in all of its deadliness and despicability--and we are truly delivered from its mortal danger. So then, our sanctification involves proper conviction of our sins.

Is it a small thing for us to spurn the love of God by our prayerlessness; for us to be so preoccupied with so many things that we have no time to commune with God in prayer? Do we not insult Him by putting Him at the bottom of our priority list, making our time with Him the first to get dropped when we get busy? Can we say we love Him when we don’t want to spend time in His presence? Let’s not say that we are always in His presence whether we pray or not. That is true. But why do you think, then, that Jesus frequently went away to set aside a special time of prayer, to pray by Himself? If anyone walked constantly with God, was it not Christ? Oh, do we not make a travesty of all that we confess with our mouth by our prayerlessness? If God is who He is in all of His glory and in all of His love toward us, if Christ did what He had to do to bring us to the throne of God’s grace, if the Holy Spirit does in us what He does as the Spirit of fellowship and communion, how can we not pray?

Please understand that, if I am laying a guilt trip on you (and on me!), it is not to condemn. Rather, it is to encourage all of us to experience the abundant life that Christ came to give. Paul possessed this abundant life and that abundant life is what is oozing out of every word of his prayer even in prison. And that abundant life is for you as well! And if you are in Christ, that abundant life is at work in you, too! Troubles and difficulties cannot be avoided in this life. But that doesn’t mean that we have to live in misery and fear, anger and resentment, drowned in our selfish concerns. God has called us to a life bigger than ourselves. Yet, “O what peace we often forfeit, / O what needless pain we bear, / All because we do not carry / Ev’rything to God in prayer” (“What a Friend We Have in Jesus”). Oh, how I pray that God would convict us even now and grip us with the power of the gospel so that we might be made prayer warriors.

Now, let us observe one more point before we finish. Paul did not just pray. Paul did not just pray in prison. Paul prayed for others! Again, think about how radical this is! Paul is praying for the Colossians. Paul, who is in prison, is praying for those who are outside the prison! Shouldn’t it be the other way round? I’m sure that the Colossians prayed for Paul. In fact, they sent Epaphras back to Paul to minister to him on their behalf (v. 8). This was an expression of their prayerful concern for him. But Paul did not fold up his ministry just because he was in prison. He did not say, “Well, since I’m in prison, it’s my turn to receive. I have been giving and giving and giving all this time. Now it’s their turn to show their love and sympathy to me for all my sufferings and misfortunes.” As much as he appreciated whenever the people of God expressed their concern and love for him, he could not let himself be pitied. This was not because of his pride. He was crucified with Christ and there was no room for pride in his life. But if he did not allow himself to be pitied, it was because of the nobility of his office and calling that he received from his Lord. Because of the surpassing value and glory of the gospel he preached, he could not allow people to say, “Wow, how great are your sufferings, Paul! We can’t blame you even if you complain and grumble!” No, the gospel he preached was too glorious, too powerful, too noble, for such a comment! Not that we should not share our sorrows and pains with our fellow saints. But may God help us to share even our sufferings in such a way that the glory and power of the gospel shines through, even through the cracks of the earthen vessels that we are!

In fact, so great was the power of the gospel that Paul was compelled to pray for others while he was in prison, for those who were not in prison as he was! This was not something unique to Paul, was it? What he experienced--the marvelous power of the gospel--is for all of God’s people, for you, for me! It is this power of the gospel we encounter when we visit the sick out of sympathy and come back humbled and ministered to by the mysterious and incomprehensible joy emanating from the one lying in the hospital bed. It is this power of the gospel we encounter when we stand next to the deathbed of a Christian, whose face--though emaciated and tired from battling a terminal disease--glows with an inviolable peace and joy of finally going home to be with her precious Savior!

And Paul prayed for others because he knew that his ministry unto them could accomplish nothing apart from the power of the gospel, the power of God Himself. What did he try to accomplish through his ministry? Doesn’t his prayer here show us that clearly? He wanted all Christians to be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding so that they could walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. He wanted all Christians to be strengthened with all power, according to God’s glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified them to share in the inheritance of the saints in light (vv. 9-12). This should be goal of every Christian ministry. How can this be achieved? If he instructed them long and hard enough? If he can devise a better teaching method? If he can come up with some dazzling programs? And if they tried hard and long enough? No! Who are we that we should be able to achieve these things? We once belonged to the domain of darkness (v. 13). We were nothing more than slaves in the bondage of Satan and hell, who desperately needed the redemption of Christ (v. 13). We were nothing more than sinners under the curse of the law, who needed the forgiveness of sins through the blood of Christ (v. 14). We were dead in our trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1). Oh, how we need to pray! And how we ought to be encouraged that we can pray to God, who is able, more than able, to accomplish what is impossible to men!

Do you pray? Do you glory in your privilege to come to the almighty God in the name of His beloved Son? Do you pray with thankfulness and eagerness because Christ has removed all the hindrances to prayer through His death and resurrection--remove your sin that separates you from the holy God, replacing your heart of stone that has no love and desire for God with the heart of flesh whose every beat pulsates with irrepressible love for God? Christ rose again from the dead, conquering sin and death, removing all our fears, defeating all the powers of heaven and earth against God. Through His death and resurrection Jesus rent the veil into two and ushered you into the innermost sanctum of God’s heavenly temple. The gate of prayer to God is wide open in Christ Jesus. You no longer need an earthly temple to legitimize your prayer. No matter where you are--even when you are in a seemingly God-forsaken prison--you can freely pray to the Lord of heaven and earth! Oh, let us pray frequently, fervently, zealously and joyfully!

And what are you praying for these days? Is the power of the gospel manifest in your prayer for others?

And what about our prayer as a corporate body? We are in La Jolla, reputed to be one of the most difficult places to minister because of its wealth and its beach culture, not to mention the secular intellectualism at UCSD. Should this discourage us? Shouldn’t it rather urge us to pray all the more? What a great opportunity do we have to demonstrate that a Christian ministry is not by our might nor by our power but by the Spirit of God! May all the difficult circumstances that we face not crush us but rather refine us and strengthen us in the power of prayer. Let not any force or power in this life, already defeated by Christ, silence our prayer and render us crippled and powerless! May we arise as prayer warriors and take part in the glorious advance of the gospel to the ends of the earth--until that day when all our prayers shall be turned into praises unto our God and Savior through all eternity!