Getting the Word Heard: Part 2  

Colossians 4:2-6

It’s good to be with you today as we take another look at God’s Word together. This program is produced by Heralds of Hope, where our goal is to use media to make disciples of Jesus. This program is the media. We are studying in Colossians, and Lord willing, all of us are becoming like Jesus; we are being His disciples.  

As I’m sure you’ve noticed, we are nearing the end of the book of Colossians. After this lesson, we have one more, and that will complete our teaching from Paul’s fantastic book. As you may recall from last week, our title is “Getting the Word Heard,” and last week we explored how vital communion with God is in spreading the Word. Today marks the second part of this teaching, and the main points will be clarity, conduct, and conversation, each an essential element in allowing the Word to be heard.  

If you can turn with us to Colossians 4:2-6. 

²Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; 

³meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, 

⁴that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. 

⁵Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time.  

⁶Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each one. 

This text contains several ELEMENTS we must consider if we want to be effective in “Getting the Word Heard.”  

The Next ELEMENT (in getting the Word heard) is, 

Clarity 

If people can listen to our words but don’t understand them, the Word isn’t being truly heard. Genuine hearing involves the intellect and the heart. I recall my mentor, Dr. J. Otis Yoder, speaking about the importance of clarity in teaching and preaching. He said, “If you’re going to feed the sheep, you have to put the food where they can reach it.” To do that, you need to know your audience. Paul asked the Colossian Believers to pray that he would be able to proclaim the Word clearly, to put the food where the sheep could reach it. 

Sometimes we Christ-followers use language that is familiar to us but foreign to non-believers. Several decades ago, people understood what it meant to be “born-again.” Today, many people are like Nicodemus. When Jesus talked with him about being born again, he couldn’t see how that was possible. Many people today have little or no exposure to God’s Word and biblical truth. So, the Word must be conveyed in language they can understand and relate to.  

  Paul emphasizes the importance of clarity in 1 Corinthians 14. The context is his teaching about speaking in tongues, but his conclusion applies just as well to this essential element of clarity. In verse 8, he says, “If the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle? So, it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air.” 

 Here again, prayer is part of the process because we can ask God, through His Holy Spirit, to help us share His truth in ways that people can understand, and to enable them, by His Spirit, to understand what we’re saying. That’s what Paul was asking the Colossian Believers to pray for him. He knew his effectiveness in getting the Word heard depended, at least in part, on his clarity. The same is true for you and me today.  

The Next ELEMENT (in getting the Word heard) is, 

Conduct 

In the English language, we have a saying: “What you DO speaks so loudly I can’t hear what you’re saying.” A person’s conduct and character have much to do with whether people listen to what they say.  

When I was a younger man, there was a popular bumper sticker that said, “Honk if you love Jesus.” A lady was driving on a busy street and pulled up behind a car at the traffic light. She read the bumper sticker and tapped the horn. An angry man jumped out of the car and yelled, “Lady, what’s the matter with you, can’t you see the light is red?” I cringe sometimes when I see how people drive and then have a Christian message of some kind on their vehicle.  

Paul says we are to walk wisely before those who are outside of the family of God. So, he makes a distinction between believers and unbelievers. Jesus did the same thing in Mark 4:11. He made a distinction between His disciples and those who weren’t disciples. We who are born again are “spiritual insiders” because we belong to God’s family, and we share His life.  

But we must never become proud of our position in Christ. We must never give those outside God’s family the impression that we are superior to them. We were just like them before God rescued us from the slave-market of sin at the cost of Jesus’ blood. We are sinners saved by grace. The primary purpose of this text is to share with others how they can experience the same transformation we have through Jesus.  

What does it mean to walk wisely before unbelievers? Walking refers to our conduct. Many unbelievers seem to know instinctively how a Christ-follower should live. So, when a high-profile Christian leader is caught in major moral failure, the unbelievers mock. Here was someone who claimed to speak for God, and he was discovered to be doing the same thing the unbelievers were doing, or worse! That jeopardizes the testimony of all Believers.  

Walking in wisdom means being careful in what we say and do. It means consciously trying to avoid actions that will hinder others from hearing the message we proclaim. In Acts 24:16, Paul defended himself before the Roman governor, Felix, against the charges brought by the Jewish leaders. In response to their accusations, he said, “I always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.”  

Paul didn’t want anything he did or said to give others a reason to disregard the message he was preaching. We know that his detractors falsely accused him, and we may experience the same thing. But we should strive to live a life that is above reproach. 

Another area of conduct that we, as Christ-followers, need to work on is being more loving in our presentation of the truth. We know God doesn’t hate sinners. God doesn’t approve of any sin, regardless of its form, but He loves all people. John 3:16-18 leaves no doubt about this fact. In getting the Word heard, we need to learn how to use God’s love to guide our conduct.  

I learned about a woman who was a professor of English and women’s studies at Syracuse University in New York, and a practicing lesbian. She wrote a book, “The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert.” In it, she recounts the story of her journey to faith in Jesus in the year 1999. She shares how God used a humble couple’s simple invitation to dinner to draw her, a radical and committed unbeliever, to Himself. That couple reached out to her as a human being loved by God. That helped to break down her perception that Christ-followers were hate-filled bigots.  

The message of the Gospel is offensive; Jesus and the apostles said it would be so. But we don’t need to make it more offensive by our un-Christian responses to the sins of others. We must learn to see past the sometimes-repulsive exterior of a person to see the deeper needs of the soul. We must surely keep in mind that “except for the grace of God, there go I.” 

Paul further reminds us that this walking in wisdom includes redeeming the time. That means “buying up” the opportunities that come our way for personal witnessing. Here, Paul uses a commercial term. Just as a businessman seizes a bargain when he sees one, so a Christ follower seizes the opportunity to share the message of Christ’s love with the lost. He knows that both his time and the person he’s witnessing to are limited.  

I’m sure there’s more we could discuss about how important this element of conduct is in getting the Word heard. But let’s move on to… 

The Final ELEMENT (in getting the Word heard) is, 

Conversation 

While our conduct is vital as we walk before unbelievers, it’s not a substitute for sharing the Gospel message with them verbally.  

I read about a man who got saved as a young adult. He was so excited about Christ for the first couple of weeks that he told everybody the difference Jesus had made in his life. One Sunday night, he was at his church, and they sang the song, “Rescue the Perishing.” He heard that song and he got so excited that as soon as the service was over, he rushed to the pastor, and said, “Pastor, I’m ready.” The pastor said, “Ready for what?” He said, “Man, I’m ready to go rescue the perishing–let’s do it!” 

The pastor looked at him and said, “Well, that’s not something we do; that’s just a song we sing.” Sadly, the pastor’s response is all too common today. In this context, Paul addresses the importance of how we do that. He writes, “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.” Our speech will only be gracious if we have grace in our hearts.  

And then, metaphorically, Paul says that our speech should be seasoned with salt. What does that mean? Salt has been used for thousands of years as a preservative and to enhance flavor. It seems the second use is primarily in view here.  

As Christ-followers, we can hold firmly to our biblical convictions without being rude or obnoxious. How willing are you to listen to someone whose language is rude? We must model the speech of Jesus as He delivered it in the synagogue of his hometown, Nazareth. “So, all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth.”  

Our walk and our talk are both critical. Our conduct and our conversation are mutually supportive. They must agree. Add to this the two earlier elements of getting the Word heard: communion, that is, prayer, and clarity, which makes the message plain and understandable so that all can truly hear.  

I must confess that this portion of Scripture has convicted me. By God’s grace and enabling, I will be more faithful in communion with my Heavenly Father in intercession for the lost. I will continue working to bring clarity to the message of the Gospel as I proclaim it.  

By His grace and enabling, I will strive to conduct myself in a way that will not bring reproach on the name of Christ and will not hinder my witness for Him. And I will be more diligent in taking advantage of the opportunities to give verbal witness to the Gospel. Will you join me in those commitments? 

Good question, J Mark. If we don’t care and don’t do our part to get the Word heard, then who will? This is a sobering question.  J. Mark just did a good job of summarizing the lesson. Now, the challenge is for us: will we do our part to spread the word? May we, God’s servants, be faithful in telling others about him and shining His light into the darkness.   

If you have any questions about today’s teaching or would like to contact us, please reach out to us using one of the following methods. A good way is by email; our email address is [email protected]. Alternatively, you can visit our website at heraldsofhope.org and send us a message online. There, click on the “contact us” link, which is on the top right. And of course, there is always a pen and paper. Our address is Hope for Today, Box 3, Breezewood, PA 15533. We look forward to hearing from you.  

Reflecting on the importance of letting His Word be heard, I conclude this program with the words of Jesus. He said, “You are the light of the world. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”  We bless you as you shine His light!