Col 3:18-4:1
Notes
Transcript
Living in the Home...
Living in the Home...
Good morning my friends!
I am very thankful to see your faces today.
I want to remind you to come out and join us tonight for fellowship as we enjoy some great food.
And of course, there will be some desserts will he there… so your sweet tooth will be satisfied as well.
It will be a good time, we start at 6pm.
Today we come to the end of chapter 3, and with it we look at Paul’s encouragement to the home.
The message admonishes the church to act Christ like, men, women, children and even slaves in that time were called to live in accordance with God’s plan. So today we are going to talk about this… but we will also dip over into chapter 4.
So lets go to the end of chapter 3 today and see what Paul is saying and why.
I am sure there will be a lot of questions with these, but we do not shy away from the Word of God because it is challenging..
But my friends, Christian commitment affects every area of life, including the family.
So lets look at this first thought for today...
1. Healthy Relationships...
Society often talks of healthy relationships, but they often do little about it.
Scripture has also defined and affirmed the need for healthy families and how each person connected to a family is blessed by what God says in His Word.
And Paul speaks to this in his letter to the church at Colossi as well Lets look at verses 18- 21... Col 3:18-21
18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. 20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.
Now as soon as we read this, people often wonder; What does all that mean for me today, 2000 years later?
My friends, the Word of God has not changed and so the meaning is still the same today. I believe each of us can and should affirm that point.
These are Christian responsibilities, Martin Luther called these Haustafeln, which meant the ‘house table,” so it was the expectations around the home in simple terms.
Now lets break this apart and see what the Lord would say....
A. The Call to Wives… then moving to men, children and slaves we will talk about in a few minutes.
The role of men and women are of mutual concern and the role is for them to be mutually submissive to each other.
For verse 18, “Wives submit to your husbands as is fitting in the Lord.”
Why are women mentioned first, and men, don’t you comment on this right now, you might end up in the dog house.
I think the reason women are mentioned first falls back to the rolls God intended. God saw that Adam was alone and did not like fact,
18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”
So God made him a helper, one who would stand along next to him in this life. God made Adam fall into a deep sleep, took a rib from him and created the most beautiful woman and her name was Eve.
She was his wife, his helpmate, his blessing.
Now back to Colossians 3, Paul says Women submit to your husbands as is fitting in the Lord.
So lets point out a few important truths.
It is proper in the natural order of this world and especially the Christian order.
Now this is a volunteer submission, it is not something that husbands demand or try to use to rule over their wives. And men if you have done this, you are wrong.
The world operates in a natural order, submission does not imply an inherent inferiority.
Christ is equal in status to the Father but Jesus willingly submits himself to his Father’s will (1 Cor. 15:28)
In the same way, women are equal in value and worth to men, There is one important truth to consider here, men and women are both are created in God’s image. But, based on God’s design, men and women assume different roles in the marriage relationship, in the home etc..
Just as the husband is under the leadership of the Lord, in Christ so wives are under the leadership of the husband.
Now the leadership role has the husband and the head of the family, but it is one of mutual harmony. Let me explain... a husband and wife work together for the good of the family and what they are responsible for, they consult the other and talk through matters. But the wife allows the husband to make the decision, but that decision is what you have done and considered corporately for the sake of harmony and love.
Being in Christ is really the key for our roles functioning correcting in this life. This, the home, the marriage, the family cannot work successfully, with peace and love apart from Christ.
The last part of this verse is important. “....as is fitting in the Lord.” tells us that this was a part of God’s divine order.
Each part of life, for men and women, children etc, the Lord has plans and purposes for them.
B. Now the second part of role now calls to men. Look at verse 19 Col 3:19
19 Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.
Here Paul calls for husbands to plainly love your wives. This is a very rich statement my friends.
The term for love here is “agape”, it is that godly type of love, it is a distinction of the home that is founded and lives in Christ.
Note that every home a husband loves their wife sexually, that is part of that marriage relationship. But the call is for men to do more than that, love and cherish your wives in a special bond. There is something wonderful here my friends...
Look at this thought.. Paul called for Christian men to love their wives as Christ loved the church, Ephesians 5:25.
This gives men a defining point to understand, A complete, balanced approach to loving and caring for your wife.
Christ loved the church and gave himself for it. Christ died voluntarily and sacrificially to save the church, so that it might have life and have it to the fullest.
Men you are called to love your wife with a sacrificial love, this is the distinctive mark of the Christian marriage. It is a love that mirrors God’s love for humanity.
As the husband, her inner beauty and her self fulfillment are to be His delight, and the husband would do whatever he can to promote her personal well being and satisfaction.
For the husband, your wife is the most important part of your life under the Lord Jesus, And we know the Lord is ultimately first in our life of course.
The Scriptures teach us that a man in marriage must leave his father and mother and cleave, hold onto only her.
And there is a form of submission here for the husband to the wife, The husband, by leaving his own desires and taking her desires as His own.
Consider this, I have my desires, my things, but I love her desires as well, I want to hold on to her to help her, bless her, sustain her. I have entered into a covenant relationship with her. She is my focus under the Lord Jesus.
Love defines all the man does my friends, in the dynamics of the Christian relationships, a husband’s loving, caring and sacrificial approach to his wife’s well-being makes her responsibility of submission easier.
Harmony and Love, under the Lordship of Christ makes our roles as men and women easier. Together they work to make the home one that glories and blesses the Lord our God.
Now there is another remark that Paul makes, he says “do not be harsh with them...” The idea is again, love must rule and the husband’s role is to try and seek harmony in all things.. We seek to be Christ like in all things…
C. Next Paul moves to children... As parents we have a responsibility to raise our children well. Lets look at verses 20-21...
20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.
Now there is a lot being said here. First, Paul knew that children would be present in the reading of his letter. So the reference is to younger children, not just young men.
Now this command has a two sided focus… Children obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.
The word “obey” is one that has a stronger meaning than the word “submit” that Paul used with wives.
Fathers were to bring their children up in the Lord. The instruction process involves teaching children how to obey, how to respond and follow the blessing of being in a right relationship with the Lord and their parents.
This was one of the intentional commands of the Lord for fathers as they led their families. Listen to a portion of the Shema from Deuteronomy 6:4-9
4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
It was the Father’s responsibility to teach their children all through the days events, so that they would know the good and right way to live at home and under their parents supervision.
The motivation for this is that it “pleases the Lord.” This again aligns that we live correctly in a way that blesses the Lord our God, it is pleasing to him.
Just as the father and mother are responsible to God so the child is as well in all that they know and do.
We could also look to the 5th commandment, Exodus 20:12
12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
Children are to honor their parents as they live in front of them. The word “honor” means to give respect due the person and their role in life.
Their actions should be ones that bless and help their parents especially as they age and require more assistance in living later on.
And thus the promise follows that they will enjoy a long life in the land they are given. And this promise isn’t just the number of days of a persons life, but it also speaks to the promise of God’s presence and favor in your life.
D. Next Paul speaks to slaves and bondservants...
Why does God speak to these people? They were part of the home as well… We usually do not think about them, but they were an important part of life.
Look with me at verses 22-24 Col 3:22-24
22 Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
When we look at this text, I really understand the idea as Serving and working well, doing the right things for the right reasons. We have talked about this in the past.
Let’s break this down and see what Paul means…
In verse 22, He calls for slaves or bondservants to obey those over them, not with eye service or as people pleasers. But with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.
People can serve to please man, or to please God. Which is better in your mind?
I would choose the Lord. If the Lord is the means by which we serve, then we have done our best.
And you can apply that to the work place, to school, and even to the home. And there is a reward Paul says for the faithful service and the Lord will give it to those who serve well.
But there is no reward for those who just work to please self and to just get by…
Lastly in Chapter 4 verse 1 tells us that Masters should treat those under them well, remembering that you have a Master in heaven as well.
Listen, Masters of those under them were responsible for those under them. They were to treat them well, honestly and with integrity.
Now this is quite complex, for while we have talked about all these different roles and different people, the truth is we all have a Master, and that is the Lord.
We all, man, women, boy or girl, worker or manager to boss, we are all under the authority of another, not to hurt or abuse but to fulfill the obligations laid upon us in Christ Jesus.
Now, today we do not have anyone who is a slave or bondservant, but we are all under another. So then how will you serve, will you work to please man or God? Who are you living for my friends...
It is important to consider, and the Lord uses us in every area of life to help and assist others, so do your work well. Love for, care for and bless those around you.
Now as we move further in chapter 4, I can tell you the family and others are best served and blessed as we remain persistent in prayer
2. Be Persistent in Prayer....
Paul has spent a lot of time warning and writing to the church about issues caused by some of the heretical groups around them.
But as we walk into chapter 4, He returns to where he started, asking for Prayer.
Prayer is the key to every area of life in front of God.
Lets look at verses 2-5 Col 4:2-5
2 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. 3 At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— 4 that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.
5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.
Here my friends, Paul calls for the church to be prayerful in all things, and I would admonish you to pray as well as the church today.
So let us examine Paul’s words to us on prayer. Verse 2 is very forceful, “...Devote yourselves to prayer...”
The phrase “devote” has the meaning of persistence, to continue in…it is a gritty determination not to give up until God’s response comes.....
It is the same command we receive from Paul in I Thess 5:17; where Paul tells us to “Pray without ceasing...”
My friends when we think about each day the good Lord gives us, those days should be covered in prayer.
But now combine it with the final portion of the verse; “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”
A watchful prayer implies a mental alertness, the Colossians prayers were to be in tune with the times.
They were to examine the events around them and pray accordingly… the world around them needed to be considered, the events, the morality of the times, the things being promoted and approved of...
As the church today, we are to be a praying people. Not only for our families, but forthe lost, for our effectiveness in the communities, but also we are to be a praying people for the things happening in and around our world and for the days to come.
We are to know the circumstances of life, those which effects the church and work of the Lord.
Dear friends....Our prayers should be more purposeful, personal and powerful...
But Paul goes on to say, thanksgiving should be involved in our prayers.
Paul’s word for thanksgiving is one often used by Paul in His writings. Thanksgiving is the environment for good praying and it provides a safeguard to unsure that we the right attitude in prayer.
Prayer will always be offered in a attitude of Thanksgiving. This is a prayer that understands the obstacles and difficulties which lie ahead but also recognizes that God is able to work.
You see that state of prayer is not effected by circumstances but by the very nature of who God is..
Friends, take heart, be thankful because God is able to work and answer our prayers.
Now lets look at the last part of Paul words here as he is preparing to close the door to this letter..
Look at verses 3-5 again
3 At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— 4 that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.
5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.
Paul knew He needed prayer. He has work left to do as long as the Lord allowed him opportunity.
And he saw two important needs… He called for prayer for an open door for the gospel.
Paul was always at work sharing the gospel of the Lord Jesus. He knew the Lord held the direction for Him to go.. He was praying that he would be able to follow the Lord will.
The Mystery of Christ, the gospel was the message He proclaimed to the world. God sent His son into the world to be our propitiation, to die for our sins and redeem us from the curse of the law.
Paul asked for prayer… I am no Apostle, and I am not Paul, but every Pastor, like me, who preaches and teaches, seeks to share and spread the gospel.. We covet your prayers.
We are like firemen on the line, battling to help people see the way out and find life. But listen, the devil is always against us, always fighting, always trying to hurt and tear down.
Please pray for those who take the gospel to the world and seek to help others do so as well.
Now the last verse (Verse 5) is important here.. Walk in wisdom toward outsiders.
The verb here really carries the meaning of “be wise in the way you act.”
There are those outside who need the example of God’s love, and the way we walk, act and love will make a difference in that they will either be drawn to believer or it can be negative and hinder their life.
16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.
The days are evil, without a doubt, the world calls evil good and good evil, it is so very sad. The world needs to see people walking and living like Christ.
Finally Paul makes make the best use of your time.... recognize all the opportunities to be of service to God and the world.
My friends, as Christians we must understand how to live faithfully in every area of life. Serving the Lord and each other well for His glory.
Have healthy relationships and walk faithfully in front of God.. no matter your place in life and God will honor your determenation.
How are your relationships....
And how is your prayer life....
Seems like we spend a lot of time talking about prayer in the word of God, must be important, correct? Yes indeed
Lets pray