COLOSSIANS 4:2-6

1. WE NEED A: AWARENESS: V5:
1. Awareness of the opportunity: In order to make the most of opportunity, we have to be alert to, and aware of, it.
1. You have neighbors: perhaps right next door. That may be your opportunity.
2. You have family members: a child, a sibling, a parent, an aunt or uncle, a nephew or niece or cousin. That may be your opportunity.
3. You have a friends: you work with them, go to school with them, play with them, laugh with them, cry with them. Why not also share the Gospel with them? That may be your opportunity!
2. Awareness of the need: You see, every opportunity represents a need in someone's life.
1. The state of Oregon is in need of the Gospel: less than 30% of the people are associated with any sort of religion in our state. That means over 70% have a need for the Gospel for the first time.
2. People without Christ need the Gospel: they go to Godless, hopeless eternity! They need the Gospel. They need a Savior. They need Jesus Christ. Listen to this; this is important!
1. John 3:18 "He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Begotten Son of God."
2. 2 Thessalonians 1:9 "and these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,"
3. Awareness of our responsibility: Every opportunity represents a need, and these also become responsibilities! Jesus made us responsible for the souls of others.
1. He said, Matthew 28:19-20 "go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
2. Paul recoginzed his responsibility and said, Romans 1:14 "I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish."
4. Be aware! Jesus said, "Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest?' Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest." John 4:35. And when you are aware of the white fields, make the most of that opportunity!

2. WE NEED B: BOLDNESS: V3:
1. That is, courage to speak it forth. Early Christians, filled with the Holy Spirit, spoke the word with boldness. Paul wanted to speak the word as he ought to speak, and that was boldly.
1. Ephesians 6:19-20: "and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the Gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak."
2. Philippians 1:20: "according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I shall not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ shall even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death."
3. 1 Thessalonians 2:2: "but after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the Gospel of God amid much opposition."
2. Moses was afraid; Jeremiah was afraid; sometimes we, too, are afraid! But here's what God has to say.
1. Jeremiah 1:8 "do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord."
2. Matthew 10:28 "and do not fear those who kill the body, but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."
3. 2 Timothy 1:7 "for God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline."
4. Romans 8:31 "what then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?"
3. Jesus said to Peter, "Upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of hades shall not overpower it." Matthew 16:18. That is a boldness building statement! He meant three things:
1. He would build His church and it wouldn't depend on us alone. We can, therefore be bold.
2. He would build His church and nothing will stop it. We ought, therefore, to be bold.
3. He would build His church and we must take the offensive against the gates of hades or death. We must, therefore, be bold.
4. Old Henry was being teased because he spoke to everyone he could about Jesus. One man said, "Why, Henry, I think you'd even talk to a lifeless mannequin in the department store!" Henry said, "Well, I'd rather speak to a lifeless mannequin than be a lifeless Christian and speak to nobody!" He was bold, so must we be!

3. WE NEED C: CONCERN: VV3-4:
1. A concern for the lost! That's why Paul wanted to make the gospel known! Do we have that same concern?
1. Let no one say in reference to us: "Look to the right and see; for there is no one who regards me; there is no escape for me; no one cares for my soul." Psalms 142:4.
2. Let none be like Cain who wanted to dismiss his brother's death with indifference: "Am I my brother's keeper?" Genesis 4:9.
3. Let us not be like one young lady who said to me: "If I'm saved that's all I care; if others go to hell that's their problem!"
2. A concern that we share the word correctly: Note Paul's concern to make the gospel clear! He urges upon Timothy, and us all:"be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth" 2 Timothy 2:15. To be a worker unashamed, we must keep the Word:
1. Undistorted because we don't twist scriptures out of context and make them say what they don't say but what we want them to say! 2 Peter 3:16.
2. Undiluted because we do not leave out portions that don't jibe with our own opinions.
3. Untainted because we do not add stuff which is not Scripture.
4. Unhindered because we do not wreck our testimony by unchristian living: drunkenness, dishonesty, fighting and dissensions, cursing and swearing, offensive, off color language or other things totally inconsistent with the Word and Christian life.
3. A concern that we be found faithful with the little we may have to use!
1. It may be little material resources, but be faithful with what you do have. The Bible says:
1. "For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable according to what a man has, not according to what he does not have" 2 Corinthians 8:12.
2. Matthew 25:21 "his master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave; you were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things, enter into the joy of your master.'"
2. It may be little talent or skill or education or strength. But be faithful with what you do have! The Bible says, " but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised, God has chosen, the things that are not, that He might nullify the things that are, that no man should boast before God" 1 Corinthians 1:27-29.
4. So, who cares if people go on bound up in superstition? Who cares if others don't know the peace of God? Who cares of others don't enjoy peace with God? Who cares if others spend eternity separated from God in hell? Who cares? Paul cared and wanted to speak forth the Gospel. We ought to care, too.

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