Model of a Christian Household: Impacting the Culture

ME:

Culture: Different from the past (Technology/Education/Work Place)

Past community as well - Everything was closed on Sunday’s

Church was the central hub of the community

Back then Churches influenced the culture.

Early in our marriage I faced a dilemma - Ashco job (not working on Sundays and Wednesday nights.

For us, me especially, this is where Christ and my culture collided.

Transition Statement: Has this ever happened with you? Where culture and Christ collide?

WE:

Maybe a better question would be, “Does your obedience to Christ sometimes collide with the culture (Community) you live in?

If so,

...... Ηοw has it impacted you?

...... How do you deal with it?

...... How do you respond?

Is your marriage impacted by the culture you live in today or by the Christ that lives in you?

Is your family impacted by the culture you live in today or by the Christ that lives in you?

Is your parenting impacted by the culture you live in today or by the Christ that lives in you?

As Christians today ..... are we impacting our culture we live in or is the culture impacting us?

The person

The family

The household

Transition Statement: Let’s look back as this entire pericope to bring us up to date.

GOD:

Colossians 3:18-4:1 “Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. 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. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality. Masters, treat your bondservants justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.”

Rules (Instructions) for Christian Households

(18) - Submit

(19) - Love

(20) - Obey

(21) - Encourage

All of these are biblical/spiritual/Christian Principles

Submit to Christ

Love Like Christ Loved

Obey as Christ Obeyed

Encourage as commanded

Submitting is a posture a believer is to take

Love is a decision a believer is to make

Obey is an action a believer is to demonstrate.

Encouragement are words a believer is to speak.

This is a model of a Christian household (house-table)

What might be unfamiliar to us in the 21st century is the idea of bondservants and their place at the house-table.

Colossians 3:22-4:1 “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. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality. Masters, treat your bondservants justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.”

The culture in the first couple of centuries .....

Bondservant (Doulos)

Can be used in multiple ways:

Someone who owed money and sold their services for a period of time.

Servant of various degrees

Slaves

There are some commentaries that view this word “Bondservant” (Doulos) as comparison to todays employers and employee relationship.

What needs to be understood (no matter how you view this word) most of the time a bondservant was considered part of the family unit of this day and time.

What also needs to be addressed is that Paul is NOT addressing slavery, even though Paul believed in slaves freedom .....

I Cor. 7:21 “Were you a bondservant when called? Do not be concerned about it. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.)”

Paul is addressing how one (a believer in the faith) is to conduct themselves.

Just like Paul addressed the children he states the same sentiment.

Col. 3:22 “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.”

The word “obey” is the same word we find in verse 20: “Hypakouo”

Paul goes on to say “In everything”

Who are they too obey? (Their bosses!)

We find that Paul speaks more to the bondservants than he does to the Husband, wife, and kids.

Verses 18-21 contains 42 Greek words whereas verses 22-4:1 contains 75 greek words.

4 verses for Husband, wife and children.

5 verses for the Bondservant and Master relationship.

In the Greek writings ...... Length is a rhetorical strategy expressing an author’s primary concern

Paul goes on to say “in your obedience” do not do this “by way of eye-service” (22)

Meaning only obey when the master is looking.

Also, don’t be a “people-pleaser” (22)

The word “people-pleasers” is defined as “Stirring up favor from the boss.”

This would be expressed in todays terms as “Don’t be a suck up.”

Paul gives direction on what a Bondservant should look like or better yet what their true motives should be .....

Obey with “sincerity of the heart.” (22)

(Haplotes) “Without a hidden agenda”

Fearing the Lord (Reverence) (22)

(23) “Whatever you do, work heartily ....”

(Psyche) which means Soul

For the Lord and not men.

And verse 24 puts a period on it .......

Col 3:24 “knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”

Doing this with heaven in mind!

This is Pauls admonition to the bondservants .....

Obey!

Paul is not commanding them to do what he is not willing to do.

He titles himself a bondservant .....

Phil 1:1 “Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, ......”

Titus 1:1 “Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, .......”

The King James and the Amplified bible uses the word “Bondservant”

It’s the same word found in Col. 3:22 (Doulos)

This is Pauls relationship with Christ ..... and its how Paul displayed it out into the community/culture.

Whats interesting is that if we were to look at this pericope a little closer we would find that Paul is writing in TOTAL contradiction to the culture he was living in.

Women

Children

Slaves

All were viewed as commodities of that day.

Women (Bearing children and placed in a lower class)

Children (Addition to the empire)

Slaves (Bought and sold)

Christ as well as Paul preached agains the culture of that day.

Christianity was to flip culture

It was to change culture.

IT WAS TO IMPACT CULTURE

Definition of “Impact”

The action of one object coming forcibly into contact with another.

Having a strong affect on someone

As believers (Christians)

Our relationship with Christ should never be impacted by the culture. The culture should be impacted by our relationship with Christ.

Transitions statement: Is your relationship with Christ impacting the culture?

YOU:

Do people see your submission, love, obedience to the father?

All of these are something that is fostered within ...... and poured out from the heart.

Even if no one else is looking.

Doing it because its the right things to do not because you want something from it. (No hidden agenda)

Your submission, love, obedience comes because of reverence for the Father.

Would someone call you a bondservant? Better yet .... would you?

If so PTL!

If not .... you can start today/

Submit to Christ

Love Like Christ

Obey like Jesus did

Be that encourager

Be the employee/worker that glorifies God in everything you do.

Transition Statement: Looking deep into our spirit, can we call ourselves “BondServants?”

WE:

Our relationship with Christ should never be impacted by the culture. The culture should be impacted by our relationship with Christ.

Our we making a difference in our lives?

Our we making a difference in our families?

Our we making a difference in our communities?

Our we making a difference in our work place?

All we have to do is .....

Submit

Love

Obey

Encourage

Be the best employee your company has ever seen ....... for Christ!

I want us to make a declaration to the Father today.

I am going to Submit, Love, Obey, encourage, and be the best employee for Christ!