Instructions for Life in Christ

Good Morning

Good Morning and Welcome to Freedom Chapel. My name is Pastor Terry, my wife Michelle and I serve as the lead pastors here at Freedom Chapel. We exist to bring hope to our community we do that by being a Place to Belong, Church for the Whole Family.

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3 Nights of Prayer

Sunday through Tuesday 7PM

Treder Bonfire

Saturday, October 16th

Break in.

Instructions for Life in Christ

Colossians 3:18–4:1 ESV

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. 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. 25 For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality. 1 Masters, treat your bondservants justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.

Well that’s it you guys have a a great week.

Seriously though this is a very difficult part of the scripture to preach.

However you have to understand this section come directly after Paul has set out the responsibilities of the Individual Christian.

You can not truly grasp this section of scripture until you first look at Colossian 3:1-17.

You have to understand your marriage relationship, your relationship with your children, and your relationship at work will not work well if you ignore the instructions given by Paul in Colossians 3:1-17

Colossians 3:1–17 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. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. 12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And 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 dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

What we say played out here is Paul teaching us how we should be living a Christians. This is a set of measures that we should be paying attention to. Only after we have put on Christ can we begin to be effective in our walks at home.

Paul leads of with Wives and Husbands

Colossians 3:18–19 ESV

18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.

As is Fitting in the Lord!

This is not an equality issue.

We have a full picture of of Paul’s Letters therefore as we read this we can put several things together.

We already know though the earlier portions of this letter that there is equality in Christ.

We know that Jesus chose to have the first testimony of Return from Death come through Women.

Paul Tells us in Galatians 3:28 that the is a check and balance for selfish or Tyrannical Partners.

Galatians 3:28 ESV

28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Neither partner should be arrogant or domineering; the is no room for abuse.

Paul is simply saying wives help foster your Husbands spiritual leadership and headship in the home. There should not be a battle for headship in a Christian home. According to the Bible the man is the spiritual head of the family and the wife should acknowledge his leadership.

Ladies before you lynch me let ask you this.

What woman here doesn’t want their husband to be a more Godly influence in their home?

Now for the Husbands.

Husband Love and Don’t be Harsh

Woman Can’t you see I am watching the game here.

Philippians, Colossians & Philemon Principles for Relationships / 3:18–4:6

Real spiritual leadership involves service. Just as Christ served the disciples, even to the point of washing their feet, so the husband is to serve his wife. This means putting aside his own interests in order to care for his wife. A wise and Christ-honoring husband will not abuse his leadership role.

Here is the order set by Jesus:

Husbands submit to God, Lead your home, Wives come along side your Husband, Children obey your parents and then we will have a home that is Blessed.

Children

Colossians 3:20 ESV

20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.

The Greek word used he is Tekna “meaning young children living in the home”

Young people when you obey your parents you please God.

Paul is doing a back and forth here he immediately goes back to the Father. The head of the home.

Colossians 3:21 ESV

21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

Philippians, Colossians & Philemon Principles for Relationships / 3:18–4:6

The command for children to obey does not give parents license for harsh treatment. Children must be handled with care. They need firm discipline administered in love. Fathers refers to both parents, although Paul’s words might stress the importance of discipline administered by fathers. The Greek word goneis (parents) in 3:20 includes mothers; pateres may mean parents (as in Hebrews 11:23), but here it is head of the household. Parents must not embitter their children by nagging and deriding. Belittling children, or showing by words or actions that they are unimportant to the parents, should have no place in Christian families. Discipline administered in derision ultimately discourages children, destroys their self-respect, and causes them to lose heart.

Parents your children should be your most important mission field.

You get 18 years.

Philippians, Colossians & Philemon Principles for Relationships / 3:18–4:6

If the home is to be a means of grace it must be a place of rules … the alternative to rule is not freedom but the unconstitutional (and often unconscious) tyranny of the most selfish member.

C. S. Lewis

Slaves and Masters

Philippians, Colossians & Philemon Principles for Relationships / 3:18–4:6

Slaves played a significant part in this society, with several million in the Roman Empire at this time. Slavery was sanctioned by law and was part of the empire’s social makeup. Because many slaves and slave owners had become Christians, the early church had to deal straightforwardly with the question of master/slave relations. Paul’s statement neither condemns nor condones slavery. On one hand, Paul was not interested in starting a revolutionary movement to attempt to destroy the order of the empire. On the other hand, Paul was starting a revolutionary movement that would surely subvert all that Rome found pride in. But Paul was not a political organizer, and his movement was not political. All of Paul’s revolutionary zeal was developed in the context of the church as a new community in which selflessness and love constituted new relationships based not on power but on mutual affirmation. Would this destroy Rome’s empire? Emphatically, yes. Would it do so by armed revolt? Certainly not.

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.

Our attitude at work is not about pleasing people but about pleasing God.

Colossians 3:23–25 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. 25 For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.

Paul tells us that we are not free from Judgement. Here is the deal whether Employer or Employee as a christian you must understand that your responsibility is to God and God will judge you for your actions.

Paul ends this section with this the instructions for the Master.

Colossians 4:1 ESV

1 Masters, treat your bondservants justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.

Employers remember that you may be the master of your domain however if you are in Christ you answer to a higher master.

This entire Chapter is about responsibility. We live in a world that points fingers and deflects responsibility. If you are a follower of Christ you must not do this.

Stand with me. Holy Spirit what is it you want to speak to me this morning.

Colossians 3:17 ESV

17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.