The Art of Seeking, Part 9

Colossians  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  30:52
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Colossians 3:1.
Colossians 3:1 ESV
1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
In this sermon we are going to learn the art of seeking the heavenly as employer and employee.
Colossians 3:22-25-4:1 is not directly talking to employer and employee, but to masters and salves.
We will contextualize the master/slave relationship to address the employer/employee relationship.
This is not going to be a sermon on slavery. However, I think it is important to make some observations on slavery in the first century, on the enslavement of Africans in the southern United States, and on modern slavery.
First, enslaving men, women, boys, and girls is wrong in all periods of time. For a person to be the property of another human does not respect the dignity of being created in the image of God. Paul, in 1 Timothy 1:10, makes it clear that slavers are breaking the law of God.
Second, 1st century slavery and slavery in the New World have six differences that we should understand when we read the word slave or bondservant in the bible.
Slavery in the 1st century was not based on ethnicity or the color of your skin. Anyone could become a slave. There were four ways slavery came about:
The first is as the spoils of war.
The second is as the captive of a slaver.
The third is by being born into slavery.
The fourth is by choosing to sell yourself for economic stability. In the first half of the second century, the early church father Clement wrote,

We know that many among ourselves have delivered themselves to bondage, that they might ransom others. Many have sold themselves to slavery, and receiving the price paid for themselves have fed others.

1st century slaves were educated and responsible for sensitive and highly responsible social functions and held government positions like treasurer.
1st century slaves owned property, ironically they owned slaves.
1st century slaves were free to worship, free to public assembly.
1st century slaves could choose emancipation by age 30.
1st century slaves were spread out through the social and economic fabric of society, thus slaves uniting for freedom would not have gained traction.
These six difference in no way justify slavery in the 1st century. They do, however, help us understand why Paul spent his time instructing masters and slaves on how to get along, rather than trying to tear down the institution of Roman slavery.
There is a great article in The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary that I can make available to anyone who is interested.
Slavery is wrong in all times periods. I think it is import to remember that it is not just a stain on humanities past, but a stain on our present as well. The National Human Trafficking Hotline identified 9,619 cases in 2023, involving 16,999 victims of slavery.
The 2023 Global Slavery Index (GSI) estimates that on any given day in 2021, there were 1.1 million people living in modern slavery in the US, a prevalence of 3.3 people in modern slavery for every thousand people in the country.
Church, may we seek freedom for these individuals and pray for them in their distress.
Having a better understanding of slavery in the 1st century, turn to Colossians 3:22 and let’s apply this text to the employer/employee relationship.
Colossians 3:22 ESV
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.
How many here have a job with a boss?
How many here have struggled to obey their boss?
How many here are tempted to work less when the boss is not around?
How many here are tempted to be motivated by pleasing your boss?
How do we obey our employers with sincerity of heart, and the fear of the Lord?
The answer is in Colossians 3:23-24.
Colossians 3:23–24 ESV
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.
Our motivation is not our employer, but our service to Jesus Christ.
This reminds us that all work done in service to Jesus is sacred.
All work done in service to Jesus is kingdom work.
Your daily grind done in service to Jesus is working for his kingdom and laying up for you treasures in heaven.
We practice the art of seeking the heavenly as employer and employee by serving Jesus.
Let’s work for Jesus.
Colossians 3:25 reminds us of the injustice that inevitably comes into any human relationship. The human relationship of master/slave is inherently unjust.
Colossians 3:25 ESV
25 For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.
God will call into account all injustice - the injustice of an employer to and employee and the injustice of an employee to an employer. It is the same for slaves and masters.
We, then, whether employee or employer, trust God to administer justice, for vengeance is his and he will repay.
Paul, in Colossians 4:1, turns his attention to masters. For today's sermon we are seeing them as employers.
Colossians 4:1 ESV
1 Masters, treat your bondservants justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.
Employers/masters are called to treat their employees/slaves justly and fairly. Their motivation is also their service to Jesus. Their work is kingdom work as well, through serving Jesus.
We practice the art of seeking the heavenly as employer and employee by serving Jesus.
Let’s work for Jesus.
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