Colossians 3
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09-20-2020
Colossians 3
Welcome
Recap
This is our 3rd week so as you have guessed we are in Colossians 3 this week
Over the last 2 weeks we have gone through Colossians 1 and Colossians 2
Paul is writing the letter to the church at Colossae and to another group of believers about 10 miles away in Laodicea
This letter was not written to none believers but to the church of believers
Paul wants to encourage those believers to continue on with the good things they are doing
I thing maybe the Big Theme you and I can take away and begin to apply to our lives is that we should be encouraged right now
Do we have all the answers and everything figured out no are we doing some things right yes
Can we still grow absolutely but we should be encouraged this morning
In the first chapter Paul encourages them because they have the Hope living in them
We know Hope has a name and that name is Jesus
We should be encouraged because we have that Hope inside us as believers in Jesus Christ
Which means that at some point you realized you were a sinner in need of a savior and came to Jesus and repented of your sin and began to follow Jesus
That is the Hope Paul is talking about in the first chapter
Church we also supposed to share that Hope with people we come into contact with
It is more than just living your life in front of them, it is talking with him and sharing with them your life before Jesus and you life after Jesus
In Chapter 2 Paul encourages them to not fall for the fancy persuasive arguments and speeches that will come
There will be people who will sound like they are talking about Jesus and sharing about Jesus but when you listen to them and run it through scripture they are false teachers
We are not to be swept away by that and the way we are not swept away is by being ground in Jesus
Remember that Hope from chapter 1 that is what we are to ground ourselves in we are to root ourselves in Jesus meaning we have to be connected to Him
That is done by praying, reading, memorizing, fellowshipping, worshipping
We are to look like Christ
Because remember the question Paul asked us, if you have died with Christ, then why do you want to look so much like the world, I am para phrasing of course
We should look so much like Jesus that people see Him instead of us
Christ is our foundation
This morning we pick up in Colossians 3
1 Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.
If you are in Christ you and I are to walk in Christ
Would you know that as believers in Jesus you are to walk in Him, that you are to seek Him with your whole life
You and I are to set your mind on Christ and things of Christ
Stop worrying about the things of this world
Because the things of this world are here today and gone tomorrow
You are not a citizen of this world so stop giving some much of your attention and energy to the things of this world
We are to dwell on the things of above
8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.
We are to dwell on these things and these are the things above these are the things of Christ
We should be spending more of our energy on the things of Christ than the things of this world
It will do us no good to spend so much time and energy and thought process on the things of this world, it will leave you empty and broken hearted
You may ask why and I am so glad that you did
3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. 5 Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.
Paul explains why we are to setting our minds on things above
We are setting our minds on the things above because we have died with Christ and we have also been raised with Christ
4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 7 for he who has died is freed from sin.
Because of our personal relationship with Christ, because we have repented and believed, because we have given our hearts to Jesus we should be setting our minds and our eyes on the things above
Paul is encouraging the believers in Colossae to stay focused on Jesus
Remember we are not citizens of this world
6 For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, 7 and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth.
Paul reminds them of their former life
We shouldn’t be looking back at our former life but we should remember where we came from and the grace that was given to us by Jesus
Because there is wrath poured out on those who have not submitted to Jesus
And church no one wants to have the wrath of God poured out on them
Paul wants to remind the church of Gods grace and mercy for them
Grace is getting what we don’t deserve a relationship with Jesus
Mercy is not getting what we do deserve
Church for those of you who have a personal relationship with Jesus you were given Grace and Mercy
9 Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, 10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him— 11 a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.
We shouldn’t be ashamed to tell people about the Hope we have in Jesus Christ
It is the only true Hope there is in this world
Church we are a new self
THe Old self has died and because of Christ we have a new self to put on
Pau want to remind them that this new self is not specific to either Jew or Greek
That salvation is for everyone
9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
God desires all to come to a personal relationship with Him and Jesus died so that everyone might have that opportunity
Jesus did not die just so a small group could have an opportunity to have that personal relationship with Him
We are to remember that salvation is for everyone and it is important to note that no one is to far gone for Jesus
Paul reminds them of that because remember your former ways
Church we are to remember that it is not up to us who receives salvation but it is our job and responsibility to be obedient to share the Hope that you and I have because remember your former ways
Remember that you and I have received grace and mercy and we have a new self because of what Christ did on the cross for everyone
12 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. 14 Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
Paul is telling the church for those of you who are believers in Jesus Christ you are to put on the following
Almost like the fruit of the spirit, we are to be doing these things, these should be a product of our walk with Jesus just like the fruit of the spirit
Paul reminds the church they are to forgive because they have been forgiven a great debt
Church we are to be a forgiving church understand me though we will not be a complacent church but we will be a forgiving church
Along with forgiving we are to be a loving church
Within the church that is the unity that is the glue that holds the church together and to keep going forward because we have the Love of God within in us and allows us to love one another
I know you have heard this before, but you and I as believers in Jesus Christ, we are to be reading the Word of God, we are to be memorizing the Word of God and we are to be dwelling on the word of God
Paul is reminding them to be doing everything for Jesus
The Paul is going to go with some famous verses
18 Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be embittered against them. 20 Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart.
Wives you have a responsibility to your husbands
You are to be subject to them
And Wives if you think Paul is going to pick on you then you are wrong
Husbands you have a responsibility to your wives
You are to love them
Do you understand that wives and husbands you each have a responsibility to the other and it is about time that we begin to act like it
Moms and Dads are not only one to be doing something
Children in the room
Youth and younger kids you have a responsibility to your parents
You are to obey them
And then finally Fathers you are to not egg on your kids to anger
You are not to poke the bear with your kids
Paul is given to the church at Colossae what the family is to be doing and how they are to be acting
Remember because they have Christ in them
Church these are directives that you and I should begin to apply to our own families today
22 Slaves, in all things obey those who are your masters on earth, not with external service, as those who merely please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. 25 For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality.
When we read these things it is easy for us to get caught up in the language
I think if we do that we miss what Paul is encouraging the church to do
Paul is encouraging the church to work heartily for the Lord
Whatever you and I do we are to work heartily for the Lord
Wether you are a son or a daughter or a husband or wife, or wether you are the boss or work for someone else
You are to work as if you are working for the Lord
Because remember church you are not a citizen of this world and we should be focusing on Christ rather than our boss or either how good or how bad we think our job is
We should be focusing on Jesus and not this world
This morning as we move into this time of invitation
I would like to invite you to the front if you are here this morning and do not have a personal relationship with Jesus
You will be able to meet with someone and they will be able to open up the word of God and show you this morning how Jesus died for your sins and how you can enter into a personal relationship by repenting from your sins and believing in Jesus
Or maybe you are here this morning and you have a personal relationship with Jesus and you are for far to one been focused on everything but Jesus and need to renew your relationship with Jesus this morning
Maybe you need to spend sometime in prayer this morning
The altar is open
