A_New_Agenda_For_Society
LIVING LIFE TO ITS FULLEST
A STUDY IN COLOSSIANS
SERMON #14 A NEW AGENDA FOR SOCIETY
COLOSSIANS 3:18-4:1
PART 1
A NEW AGENDA FOR FAMILIES
Would you agree with me when I say the American family is in
serious trouble today? In fact, I am greatly alarmed that our
entire society
is on the very brink of self-destruction:
*Divorce
*Abortion
*Gay Rights
*Economic Hardship
*Humanism
*Children's Rights
*Sexual Deviancy And Promiscuity
Our social cancers that are rapidly eating away at our society,
and I
am telling you we are a society that is literally rotting from
the inside out.
There is a liberal social agenda being propagated by powerful,
elite,
well organized, well financed groups such as ACLU, Planned
Parenthood,
National Education Associates, and unfortunately our own
government
administration that are absolutely exploding on the scene of
history and
forcing upon America a godless, immoral, insane agenda which
is
rapidly
destroying us from the inside out!
*Folks, we are in serious, serious trouble today!
*We are sowing to the wind and reaping a whirlwind!
*Every man is "doing that which is right in his own eyes!"
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We are already reaping total anarchy and chaos.
*And the only answer for our society is Jesus!
*He is our only hope.
*There are no other solutions.
And we need to realize government cannot fix the problem--it is
part
of the problem!
*The answer is not a guru because the problem is not religion.
*The answer is not a teacher because the problem is not
ignorance.
*The answer is not government because the problem is not
politics.
*The answer is not money because the problem is not poverty.
THE ANSWER IS JESUS BECAUSE THE PROBLEM IS SIN!
Let me tell you Jesus and Jesus alone is the answer for:
*Home problems
*Government problems
*Business problems
*Economic problems
I want us to return to the book of Colossians and discover that
Jesus
gives us a brand new agenda for society that brings:
*order out of chaos
*peace out of anarchy
*happiness out of hostility
Text Colossians 3:18 - 4:1
Col 3:18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the
Lord.
Col 3:19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with
them.
Col 3:20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this
pleases the Lord.
Col 3:21 Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will
become discouraged.
Col 3:22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and
do
it, not only when
their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity
of heart and reverence for
the Lord.
Col 3:23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as
working for the Lord, not
for men,
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Col 3:24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance
from the Lord as a
reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
Col 3:25 Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong,
and
there is no
favoritism.
Col 4:1 Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and
fair, because you know
that you also have a Master in heaven.
Let me begin by giving you Satan's 5-step plan for destroying
mankind and ruling over God's creation.
1.Dethrone God: God did not create man; man created God.
2.Degrade Man: Man is not created, but a cosmic accident
3.Defy Christian Morality:
*If there is no God
*If man is a cosmic accident
*Then there are no moral absolutes
4.Destroy The Family: Without Christian morality the home
crumbles
5.Dominate Human Society: Without stable homes all of
society crumbles into chaos
I want to take the Word of God today and show you 6 keys for:
*undoing what the devil has done to our homes
*building back what Satan has tried to tear down
*piecing together what Satan has unraveled
You see, the home, the family is the foundation of all other
social
structures. It is the cornerstone of society and when it
crumbles entire
societies fall in on themselves.
Let me quickly identify several major culprits in the
deterioration of
the American home. These are enemies of the family:
1.Gay Rights Movement: A recent news show "The Gay 90's"
reported thousands of gays and lesbians demanding the same
moral and legal recognition, rights, and benefits granted
married
couples, to same sex unions.
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Thousands of children are being raised by 2 gays or 2 lesbians.
Ex: Article "Family Research Report" (Nov-Dec 1992, p. 7)
"On September 28, an Orange County, CA judge made the
same
ruling in regard
to another abandoned father. The judge told the father that
"your Achilles heel is your
reluctance to accept the life-style your ex-wife has chosen for
herself and threatened
his visitation rights with his child. The ex-wife is living
openly with another lesbian.
Both are employed by the Los Angeles Sheriff's Dept. The
husband and ex-wife were
ordered to undergo "counseling" to learn to accept each other
and get along better!
The father in this case had remarried and had 2 other
children
by his new wife.
They both wanted to fully incorporate his 5-year old son into
their marriage. The
judge reasoned that CA law forbade him to consider the
lesbianism of the ex-wife in
deciding custody.
Demands for equal treatment by homosexuals coupled with
the
modest
empirical showing in the scientific literature suggesting that
homosexuals make "just
as good parents" has almost won the day. Common sense is
being
overturned in favor
of making a statement for gay rights. And the long-term
interests of the child are being
submerged in favor of the interests of the deviant parent."
Just to let you know how effective the liberal media has been
in
promoting gay rights, my 9-year old daughter asked her mother
the
other day, "Mom, why are we against gays if they are born that
way?"
2.Economics forcing both spouses to work outside the home.
Ex: Article from "The Denver Post" (Jan 16, 1993)
"The stresses of work, child care and chores heavily increase
the odds of divorce
and separation in married couples who work full time, the
federal government reported.
And when married couples with children split up, more than
one-third of the
white mothers and about half of all black mothers wind up in
poverty, U.S. Census
Bureau researchers said.
The study was the first attempt by the government to look at
the
economic
conditions that affect family stability. It was based on
surveys that tracked the lives of
24,000 people between 1984 and 1988.
Researchers found that who works, how much they work and
what
they earn
play key roles in family stability.
The rate of divorce or separation in families in which both
parents work is one
in 12 couples, or about 8%.
In families where fathers work full time and mothers work
part
time, the
government found that divorce and separation rates were about
60% lower--
approximately one in 20, or 5%."
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3. * Abortion: We are slaughtering 2 Million human beings in
abortion
mills every year.
*Besides the moral atrocity of this legalized, tax financed
genocide,
there is the coming economic disaster.
*These 2 Million people were the future work force of America
that
will be needed to finance a rapidly aging population.
4.Children's Rights Movement:
*At the core of Hillary Rodham Clinton's Children's Rights
Agenda is
the undermining of parental authority.
*Children's Rights Agenda is often a disguise of child sexual
abuse.
Ex: The book "Paedophilla: The Radical Case" by Tom O'Carroll
O'Carroll writes, "I am a paedophile."(p. 9) "In the
Netherlands ... even
major church organizations and political parties are coming to
the conclusion
that the laws designed to 'protect' children from sexual
experiences actually do
them more harm than good ... families which deny children their
sexual life,
including the possibility of sexual contact with adults, are
profoundly limited,
however good they may be in other respects." (From "Family
Research Report"
Nov-Dec 1992, p. 3)
It is a frightening thing to be trying to maintain a family and
raise
children in today's world. Just about every element of society
is working
against you.
However, the Lord Jesus can in fact secure your home and
stabilize
your marriage.
I believe the Bible is the best marriage manual in all the
world. And
right here in 4 very brief verses we discover the God-ordained
keys to
having a happy, secure, satisfying stable home life.
I want to draw your attention to 3 key ingredients to a
successful
family that comes into your home when it is under the Lordship
of Jesus
Christ.
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I.JESUS CHRIST BRINGS A NEW PRESENCE INTO THE
HOME
II.JESUS CHRIST BRINGS A NEW PATTERN INTO THE HOME
III.JESUS CHRIST BRINGS A NEW PURPOSE INTO THE HOME
I.JESUS CHRIST BRINGS A NEW PRESENCE INTO THE
HOME
Note: Everything Paul says in these verses concerning the
agenda of home and
business is prefaced on the assumed presence of Christ.
(KJV)
Col 3:18 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as
it
is fit in the
Lord.
Col 3:20 Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is
well pleasing unto
the Lord.
Col 3:23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord,
and not unto men;
Col 3:24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of
the
inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.
A. Christ's Presence In Your Life And Home Makes All The
Difference.
1.I watch homes struggle to survive against all the opposing
elements of this world system--and I'm telling you they
cannot survive without the presence of Christ.
2.When Jesus is in your life and home--He provides the
desire and discipline and devotion necessary for a happy
home.
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3.Let me tell you all the best advice and principles in the
world cannot make your home what it should be--without
Jesus Christ!
4.You see, Christ gives you the power to appropriate the
principles and actions He designed that makes the family
strong and stable.
5.If you try and take home the principles He teaches and
apply them in your own strength, it won't work. You need
the presence and power of Jesus.
Ex: A young couple decides to get married, so they have a
wedding
shower.
At the shower they'll receive an:
1.electric can opener
2.radio
3.stereo
4.television
5.toaster
6.electric blanket
7.electric razor
8.microwave oven
9.electric alarm clock
The only problem is--when they move into their new home these
are useless because they live in a log cabin with no
electricity!
6.I tell young couples who are planning to get married, "Your
most urgent concern in this marriage is your personal
relationship with Jesus Christ."
WITHOUT CHRIST YOU WON'T MAKE IT!
7.Let me assure you--there is not a problem in your home that
Jesus can not resolve.
8.Whatever struggle you may be facing in your home ... Jesus
ultimately is the solution.
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Ex: Most homes I know of do not need:
*more counseling
*more advice
*more therapy
THEY NEED MORE OF JESUS!
Conclusion of Point: "Jesus Brings A New Presence Into Your
Home"
Your home can never possibly be everything it should be without
Christ. " ...
Christ in you is the hope of glory." (Col. 1:27)
Ex: The very day I was preparing this message a young
husband/father called
me and said, "Our home is so much different since my wife
accepted Christ in your
office."
II.JESUS CHRIST BRINGS A NEW PATTERN INTO YOUR
HOME
Col 3:18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the
Lord.
Col 3:19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with
them.
Col 3:20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this
pleases the Lord.
Col 3:21 Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will
become discouraged.
A. Notice Every Member Of The Family Has A Specific Role To
Fulfill Under The Lordship Of Christ.
Note: Every human institution must have:
*an order of administration
*a chain of command
*a structure of responsibility
Without such administrative, orderly structure, everything
unravels into chaos.
Ex: This is true at every level of human society. It is true in:
*government
*business
*school
*military
*church
*home
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1.The wife is to fulfill the role of Christ-like submission.
Col 3:18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the
Lord.
Eph 5:22-24 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.
Eph 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is
the head of
the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.
Eph 5:24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives
should
submit to their husbands in everything.
1 Peter 3:1 Wives, in the same way be submissive to your
husbands so
that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won
over
without words by the behavior of their wives,
a. Be sure not to confuse:
*submission with inferiority
*submission with slavery
Ex: Jesus submitted to the Father--but Jesus was in no way
inferior to
the Father.
Note: Paul obliterated the notion of female inferiority and
male
supremacy in Col. 2:11.
Col 2:11 In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of
the sinful
nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but
with
the circumcision done by Christ,
b. To submit to your husband means to:
*respect him
*encourage him
*look to him for leadership
c. And this certainly does not give the husband the right
to be a tyrant, for ...
2.The husband is to fulfill the role of giving Christ-like love
and leadership to his wife.
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Col 3:19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be
harsh with
them.
Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the
church and
gave himself up for her
Eph 5:28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives
as
their
own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.
Eph 5:29 After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds
and
cares for it, just as Christ does the church--
a. Husbands--you are to love your wife in the very way
Christ loves His church.
b. You are to lead your wife in the same way Christ
leads the church.
c. How does Jesus love and lead His church? He loves
and leads His church:
* sacrificiously
*selflessly
*sanctifyingly
d. God never gives you the authority to be:
*harsh
*a tyrant
*mean
*brutal
*demanding
*dictatorial
Note: V. 19b " ... Do not be harsh with them."
This verse means do not have a bitter, angry, harsh, hostile
attitude at home.
Ex: Paul tells husbands not to call their wives "honey" and then
act like
"vinegar" at home.
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Ex: One dejected wife told her counselor, "When I got married I
was looking
for an ideal,
Then it became an ordeal,
Now I want a new deal!!"
e. Our model for leadership and love in our marriage is
the Lord Jesus Christ.
f. If you treat your wife any differently than Christ treats
His beloved church, then you are failing desperately
as the head of your household!
g. We are to put our wife's needs above our own, and
love her tenderly, even as Christ does the church.
3.Children are to fulfill the role of Christ-like obedience.
Col 3:20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this
pleases the
Lord.
Eph 6:1-3 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is
right.
Eph 6:2 "Honor your father and mother"--which is the first
commandment with a promise--
Eph 6:3 "that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy
long life
on the earth."
a. Listen kids, God expects you to obey your parents in
"everything," even as Christ obeyed His parents in
everything.
b. God expects you to reverence your parents and respect
them.
Note: This includes "step-parents."
c. To fail to obey is to rebel. And God likens the sin of
rebellion to the sin of witchcraft.
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1 Sam 15:23 For rebellion is like the sin of
divination, and
arrogance
like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of
the
LORD, he has rejected you as king."
4.Parents are to fulfill the role of encouragers.
Col 3:21 Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will
become
discouraged.
Note: The word "father" (pateres) should be translated
"parents."
a. Parents are not to exasperate their children.
Note: That is what the word "embitter" (erethizo) means. It
means to
exasperate, discourage or to cause them to lose heart. The idea
is
to be without courage, confidence or spirit. It has the sense
of
being listless, sullen, discouraged or despairing.
JOHN MACARTHUR SUGGEST 10 WAYS PARENTS CAN
EXASPERATE OR DISHEARTEN THEIR CHILDREN:
1.Parents Exasperate Their Children By Over Protection:
Over protective parents never allow their children any liberty.
They have strict rules
about everything. No matter what their children do,
overprotective parents do not trust
them. Because nothing they do earns their parents' trust,
children begin to despair and
may believe that how they behave is irrelevant. That can lead
to rebellion. Parents are
to provide rules and guidelines for their children, but those
rules should not become a
noose that strangles them. Above all, parents must
communicate
to their children that
they trust them.
2.Parents Can Exasperate Children By Showing Favoritism:
This is often done unwittingly by comparing a child unfavorably
to siblings or
classmates. By making a child feel like the black sheep of the
family, parents can
create a terrible sense of frustration.
Ex: Joseph suffered because he was the favored son of his
father,
Jacob.
3.Parents Can Exasperate Their Children By Depreciating Their
Worth:
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Many children have been convinced that what they do and feel
are
not
important. That is communicating to children that they are not
significant. Many
parents depreciate their children's worth by refusing to listen
to them. Children who
are not listened to may give up trying to communicate and
become
discouraged, shy
and withdrawn.
4.Parents Can Exasperate Their Children By Setting Unrealistic
Goals --- Perfectionists.
Parents can do that by never rewarding them, or never letting
them feel they have
succeeded. Nothing is enough, so the children never get full
approval. Such parents
are often trying to make their children into something they
themselves were not. The
results can be tragic. Some children become so frustrated that
they commit suicide.
5.Parents Can Exasperate Their Children By Failing To Show
Affection:
Parents need to communicate their love to their children both
verbally and visibly.
6.Parents Can Exasperate Their Children By Not Providing For
Their
Needs:
Children need things like privacy, a place to play, clean
clothes, a place to study, their
own possessions, and good meals. By providing those
necessities, parents show their
respect and concern for their children.
7.Parents Can Exasperate Their Children By A Lack Of
Standards:
This is the flip side of overprotection. When parents fail to
discipline, or discipline
inconsistently, children are left on their own. they cannot
handle that kind of freedom
and begin to feel insecure and unloved.
8.Parents Can Exasperate Their Children By Criticism:
Haim Ginott wrote, "A child learns what he lives. If he lives
with criticism he does not
learn responsibility. He learn to condemn himself and to find
fault with others. He
learns to doubt his own judgment, to disparage his own ability,
and to distrust the
intentions of others. And above all, he learns to live with
continual expectation of
impending doom" (Between Parent and Child [New York:
MacMillan,
1965], p. 72).
Parents should seek to create in the home a positive,
constructive environment.
9.Parents Can Exasperate Their Children By Neglect:
The classic example is Absalom, David was indifferent to him,
and the result was
rebellion, civil war, and Absalom's death. Parents need to be
involved in their
children's lives.
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10.Parents Can Exasperate Their Children With Excessive
Discipline:
This is the parent who abuses his children, either verbally,
emotionally, or physically.
Parents often say things to their children that they would never
say to anyone else.
They should never discipline their children in anger. Rather,
parents should lovingly
correct their children, just as their heavenly Father does them.
The influence parents have in the lives of their children has
been summed up in
a perspective by Dorothy Law Nolte entitled, "Children Learn
What They Live":
If a child lives with criticism,
he learns to condemn.
If a child lives with hostility,
he learns to fight.
If a child lives with ridicule,
he learns to be shy.
If a child lives with tolerance,
he learns to be patient.
If a child lives with encouragement,
he learns to be confident.
If a child lives with fairness,
he learns justice.
If a child lives with security,
he learns to like himself.
If a child lives with approval,
he learns to like himself.
If a child lives with acceptance and friendship,
he learns to find love in the world.
(Copyright ©1982 by Dorothy Law Nolte. Used by
permission.)
Conclusion of Point: Christ Brings A New Pattern Into Your
Home
*Wives submit to husband's leadership and love
*Husbands love wives as Christ loved the church
*Children obey parents in everything
*Parents encourage your children--do not exasperate them
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III.JESUS CHRIST BRINGS A NEW PURPOSE TO THE HOME
Col 3:17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it
all
in the name of the
Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Col 3:23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as
working for the Lord, not
for men,
Col 3:24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance
from the Lord as a
reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
A. Our New Purpose In Home And All Of Life Is To Bring Glory
And Honor To Christ.
1.Our primary concern and purpose in marriage and
parenting must be to bring honor to Jesus Christ.
2.Wives: You need to fulfill the relationship and role as a
wife in a way that honors Jesus Christ.
Husbands: You need to fulfill your role and relationship as
a husband in a way that brings honor to Christ.
Children/Teens: You need to always respond to your
parents in a way that honors Jesus Christ.
Parents: You need to treat your children in a way that
honors Jesus Christ.
3.Some of you: wives
husbands
children
parents
would act differently--if you sincerely wanted to please
Christ Jesus and this was your first priority in life.
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