Lesson 23 – Serving with Accountability, part 3 (4:7-18)
Read Colossians 4 - www.bible.com/bible/59/col.4
Verses 12 and 13 continue our study of how we serve with accountability in this lesson. How easy it is for many of us to “hide” when we are not feeling well or things aren’t going the way we would like them to go. We might even say to ourselves, “if I tell them, they will just worry about me.” In this case, this young man had been working very hard, and Paul held himself accountable to the churches who had sent this man to him with gifts and encouragement, to let them know how their young man was doing. They could then pray for him.
Verse 14 is an accountability of serving others. Serving someone who is serving the Lord is the same as giving that service to Him. In Matthew 25:31-46 Jesus says clearly that those things we do for others who are His children we have done for Him. In this our accountability is clearly to God.
Verse 15 says we are accountable to get together with other believers, and this same instruction is in Hebrews 10:25. God designed the church so we could be part of others who also believe in Him.
Verse 16 says we are accountable to stay informed about others who also belong to Jesus. We should know what is going on in other places in this world so we know when and how to pray for other believers.
Verse 17 says we are accountable to speak boldly to others about the Lord. We do not allow fear to stop our witness, for fear is never of faith – Psalm 118:6
Verse 18 is the capstone – we are accountable to pray for others. Through our petitions God works His will in the lives of not only we who pray but also those for whom we pray. God has given us a wonderful way to be involved in His work when we cannot DO anything about most situations. He can, He wants to, and our prayers release His power to do what He wants to do.