Sunday, April 26, 2015 am
“IF Then You Were Raised
With Christ” (2)
Colossians 3
Last Sunday, as a follow-up to our gospel meeting with Joshua, we
presented a lesson about Colossians 3.
Throughout the week, Joshua referenced this passage as a
blueprint to being a Christian.
A study of that chapter helps us understand why.
Last week we began examining this text noting our need to:
·
Seek those things above
·
When we find them, set
your mind on things above.
Determine to make heaven your goal
·
Put to death the old man and his
ways
·
Put on the new man and
his ways – recalling that the life of a Christian is not just about what
we cannot do, but there are many things we MUST be doing.
There are other things we CAN do that we ought to focus on as
well. Paul made reference to
numerous attitudes that are crucial in our lives.
·
Let the peace of God
rule in your hearts by striving for unity with one another.
Today we want to examine 5 more thoughts from this chapter.
These are fundamental qualities that if we seek to develop them
we will be more like He desires us to be.
Consider that as Christians we need to:
a.
Thanksgiving is
continually emphasized in scripture.
If you are to live a godly life you need to express gratitude –
toward God and toward others. I
believe it to be one of the qualities firmly we need (like love and
faith). Genuine gratitude
will affect how we view life and how we conduct ourselves.
b.
In many passages, we are
told to be thankful
1 Thess. 5:18 – as we pray, “in everything give thanks; for this is
the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
Phil. 4:6, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and
supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;”
Ephesians 5:4, Paul describes many things that are not even t be named
among us, “but rather giving of thanks.”
1 Timothy 2:1 calls for us to give thanks for all men.
Heb. 13:15, “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice
of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His
name.”
c.
Paul demonstrated thanks
to God continually – for example Rom. 1:8 – He was thankful for his
brethren and their faithfulness.
In 1 Tim. 1:12 Paul is thankful for all that God has done for
Him.
d.
The ungodliness so
prevalent in the world includes attitudes of ingratitude – Rom. 1:21, 2
Tim. 3:2.
a.
The word of God must be
the standard that we follow.
b.
With it we have “all things that pertain to life and godliness” (2 Pet. 1:3).
In vs. 5-6 we find that knowledge is imperative to spiritual
maturity.
2 Tim. 3:16-17 – writings inspired of God are profitable to make us
complete and thoroughly furnished unto every good work.
James 1:22-25 calls for us to be doers of the word and not hearers only,
deceiving ourselves.
c.
It needs to dwell within
us. That it means it is an
influence. Psalm 119:11
says, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin
against You.”
Psalm 119:133, “Direct my steps by Your word, And let no iniquity
have dominion over me.”
Psalm 40:8, “I delight to do Your will, O my God, And Your law is
within my heart.””
d.
Is the word of God your
standard? If we use some
other standard, we will be deluded and led astray (cf. Gal. 1:6-9)
a.
We need each other.
We need to build each other up as brethren (edification) – Eph.
4:16.
More than just teaching, we admonish, encourage and uplift – 1 Thess.
5:14.
b.
One way that we do this
is through our corporate (together) worship.
Paul in our text specifically mentions our singing.
But every act of worship is designed to build us up, draw us
closer to God and to one another.
Let us cherish such occasions rather than seek to be excused from
them. Incidentally, this
necessitates our being here!
Heb. 10:24-25
a.
Just as we addressed the
need to let His word dwell in us, here we expound upon that to include
the subject of authority.
b.
Authority means
permission! We need His
permission in whatever we do!
That is what is meant by the expression, “in the name of…”
c.
Jesus is where our
authority begins – Matthew 28:18.
On more than one occasion He rebuked those following Him because they
did NOT act with His authority – Luke 6:46, ““But why do you call Me
‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?”
d.
The reason division is
so prevalent today is because man does not respect God’s pattern.
Many today reject His authority and act on their own.
They act in the name of things or popularity or their own will
rather than His will.
e.
2 John 9 warns us that
if we do not abide in the doctrine of Christ, we do not have God.
a.
In the remainder of this
chapter Paul describes some common relationships – husband and wife,
parent and child, servant and master, etc.
Serving God will affect EVERY relationship we are in.
b.
It is a way of life. How
healthy these relationships are spiritually is determined by how much we
follow God’s blueprint for us.
c.
Of particular importance
are family relationships.
The family is the fundamental unit of a society.
And the Bible addresses every aspect of the family in one way or
another.
d.
When God is pursued in
these relationships (by all) it makes our bonds stronger – Eccl. 4:9-12,
1 Peter 3:1-7, Eph. 5:22-33, etc.
e.
Let us suffice to say,
let God rule in your dealings with others.
i.
Live by the golden rule
(Matt. 7:12)
ii.
Live by the royal law
(James 2:8).
f.
How we conduct ourselves
in relationships has a bearing on being pleasing to God (cf. 1 Pet. 3:7)
And
thus we can see a broad picture of God’s blueprint for our lives.
If we will strive to apply these qualities, it will help with the
quality of our lives now and give us hope of an even better and eternal
life in the next. Let
us be the disciples God would have us to be.