There Will Be Bluebirds (12)

Growing up in a Suburb

Growing up in my suburb, nothing really happened.

I lived with my fam and my Grand Parents moved in

They told me stories of the war. People dropping bombs on them.

From peace to pain was a bit of a shock

They listened to churchill never surrender

Nan’s next door neighbour

Aunty flo shaking her fist

Bombed out streets, finding eggs

waiting for the bus

I listened to my nan sing a Verea Lyn Song while she did the peas all those years latter.

there'll be bluebirds over The white cliffs of Dover Tomorrow, just you wait and see there'll be love and laughter And peace ever after

Now all these years later we have a flu that is a bit of a shock.

It is not something we are used to. Even if you did not grow up in a suburb you might be feeling a bit anxious.

Just like a Verra Lyn song Paul’s teaching to us in Colossians tonight could not have come at better time.

Colossians 4:2–6 NIV

2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. 5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

What the Christian Life Looks Like

Col 4:

So far in our journey through Colossians we have been looking at what the Christian life looks like.

We have looked at what it looks like to live out the Gospel in our relationships.

3:12 is a verse about Christian Character. It is out of our Christian character that everything else flows.

Colossians 3:12 NIV

12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Col

Because of God’s love and election we are to live lives that express our new identity. We are to have a growing Christian Character.

This idea flows from the teaching of Jesus in

Matthew 11:29 NIV

29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Jesus is saying here theat he will lead us. Like a yoke will guide the bullock, so Jesus will teach us a better way to live.

He guides us gently and humbly: The result

This way of life will be rest for our souls.

This is so encouraging at times of difficulty. Like today as we are not sure what threat we face with covid 19. We can trust that our lord is leadng us through these days of anxietty like he leads us through days of peace.

We can enjoy the results of Jesus’s leadership of us. Paul talks about what rest for our souls looks like in

Galatians 5:22–23 NIV

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

These fruits of Christian character do not just benefit the individual. But in Galations and here in Colossians Paul shows us that in good times and hard times Christian character is directed toward life in the Christian Community. How we can help each other and others that need our help.

What does this look like

Turn Panic into Prayer

Colossians 4:2 NIV

2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

Colossians 4:2–3 NIV

2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.

col

Turn Panic into Prayer

Prayer helps you to stay close to God, get caught up in his plan for the world.

Watchful

Thankful

Pray for each other

Colossians 4:2 NIV

2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

Colossians 2 NIV

1 I want you to know how hard I am contending for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. 2 My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. 5 For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how disciplined you are and how firm your faith in Christ is. 6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. 9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. 11 In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. 16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. 18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. 19 They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow. 20 Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.

Col 4:

Safe

Watchful

Thankful

Col

Colossians 4:3 NIV

3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.

pray for other Christians

pray for the message

proclaim the mystery

remember Paul is in chains and living with trouble

Colossians 4:4 NIV

4 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.

Col 4:

Sharing the truth and love of Jesus in troubled times.

person to person, generation to generation, culture to culture, place to place.

Be clear!

Be Like Paul

Colossians 4:6 NIV

6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Col

Your Character be Christian Life and not just life

Conversation be full of grace

seasoned with salt

give an answer.