Changing our focus in life gives us purpose, conviction and clarity on what is important in this life. Paul challenges us to redirect our eyes and hearts and gives some practical relational advice today as we finish off Colossians.
Colossians 3: Put On the New Self
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.
Rules for Christian Households
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 Slaves, 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.
Colossians 4:
1 Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.
Further Instructions
2 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.
3 At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison---
4 that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.
5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.
6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
Final Greetings
7 Tychicus will tell you all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord.
8 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts,
9 and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you of everything that has taken place here.
10 Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions---if he comes to you, welcome him),
11 and Jesus who is called Justus. These are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me.
12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God.
13 For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis.
14 Luke the beloved physician greets you, as does Demas.
15 Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house.
16 And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea.
17 And say to Archippus, "See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord."
18 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.
Things to think about…
1. We may be told to get our minds out of the gutter! Yes, but Paul also says, get your mind off the things of this earth and see things that are above, Col 3:1,2. It’s a shame that we are so easily led away by the desires and distractions of this world. What have you got on today? In all likelihood you have more earthly rather than heavenly endeavours to pursue! Not wanting to discourage you, but just to point out where a large part of our time is consumed. For some part of the day (even now) give yourself the opportunity to set your mind on things above. Why, because we live with Christ and He will appear with Him in glory, vs 4.
2. Paul says we are going to see Christ in all His glory, Col 3:4. As a result, Paul from this point says how we ought to live, from Col 3:5-17. I love the final exhortation to ‘do everything’ by ‘giving thanks’ to God. This should all be part of our worship as we do our devotions privately but also as we meet together corporately as well, Col 3:16. A really good way to get rid of a downcast, depressive spirit is to simply praise God and give Him thanks for a number of blessings in your life, Ps 40:1-3, Ps 42:11.
3. There is so much practical theology for the home and the workplace in Col 3:18-25. Wives, in what ways are you submitting to your husbands? Husbands, how are you loving your wives and showing the fruit of gentleness to them? Christ is our example in this. A wonderful compliment and further commentary to these verses is found in Eph 5:22-33.
4. If your parents are still alive, how are you fulfilling Col 3:20? What about if they are unbelievers, does this still apply? We know Christ is the higher law when earthly parents disobey the Lord. We are to follow God and not man. Fathers, have you ever provoked and thereby embittered your children? If so, repent and restore your relationship with your kids before it’s too late. It may be the very thing that makes them consider Christ as their Saviour if they have been estranged from Him.
5. If you are an employee, how are you fulfilling Col 3:22? Your true boss is the Lord, vs 23. Your reward ultimately is not your wages on earth, but your inheritance in heaven, vs 24. Consider the accountability described in Col 3:25. What a grief it is when Christians don’t get this stuff. What do your boss/es and fellow employees think of you at work? If you are unsure, why not ask them. You will answer to the Lord one day, why be fearful of the answers of your co-workers. 360 degree assessments can often be helpful in corporate organisations, but nothing compares to the assessment given by the Holy Spirit acting on the heart.
6. Employers who are also followers of Christ obviously have moral obligations with respect to their faith, Col 4:1. May we always acknowledge the Lord in all our business dealings. Blessing in our businesses involves honouring Him in all our words and actions in the workplace.
7. Look at how practical this advice is from the Apostle Paul in Col 4:2-6. He says be constant in prayer, always watchful with a thankful heart, vs 2. Walk in wisdom, be gracious in speech, vs 6. Pray for grace that other brothers and sisters see this sort of witness in you? Paul’s advice in vs 5 “making the best use of the time” is a constant challenge in our day, where time is unrelenting in its march forward.
8. There is so much edification to be gained by reading and studying Paul’s final greetings in his letters. Remember in the book of Philemon that Onesimus was being sent back to Philemon his master. There is a reference to these events here in Col 4:9. If you want to know what events Paul is referring to read the book of Philemon. Onesimus is being sent back with Tychicus, vs 7. Mark, Barnabas’ cousin whom Paul and Barnabas had an argument over, Acts 15:36-40 is also being commended by Paul, Col 4:10. The gospel is a reconciler. Have you seen the gospel reconcile people who were once at odds with each other?
9. Epaphras, who is likely the one who started the church at Colossae, is obviously a missionary with considerable energy, drive and boldness. He was greatly involved in establishing the churches in Laodicea and Hierapolis. We read that the Laodiceans also received a letter at this time that it was to be swapped with this letter to the Colossians and read, vs 16. The Laodicean letter Paul wrote is believed to have been lost. Some say it was the letter to the Ephesians – but we don’t know for certain.
10. Luke and Demas are mentioned in vs 14. Luke is the doctor that travelled with Paul and wrote the gospel account named after him as well as the book of Acts. The only other time Demas is mentioned aside from Philemon 24 is in 2Tim 4:10,11, where Paul says that he loved “this present world”. This was a pain point and caused personal grief to the Apostle Paul. I have felt this pain more times than I care to recall. Do you know anyone who has fallen away from Christ? How did this affect your faith? Pray for grace to be poured out for restoration and healing, this is the power of the gospel.
Vision Point for cell groups
CBC’s Vision :- To be a growing biblical church community, significantly influencing our city and beyond, through intentional outreach, fulfilling our mission.
Title was “Be careful what you eat” – Reading Prov 23:1-8
1. Graham said on Sunday that where you put your money, that’s where your heart is. In the light of Prov 23:4 where is your heart on this. If someone looked at your bank account would they see your obvious love for Jesus and His Great Commission?
2. Have you known people that have gained and lost wealth quickly – maybe a lotto windfall or inheritance? You cannot serve both God and money – you either love one and hate the other or vice versa. How would you understand and apply Prov 23:5?
3. Read Prov 23:6-8. What is your understanding of the meaning of these verses? Give some examples?
4. God so loved the world that He gave us His Son. Discuss how we might give and love as a church better by giving ourselves to the gospel.
Prayer Points
1. Covid and flu recovery
2. Ministry leaders within the church.
3. Peace to rest over Ukraine.
4. Pray for other building projects – café roof, the repair of the house roof.
5. Growth, conversions, joy in the Word and Spirit to remain and increase.
Praise Points
1. Graham’s preaching on Sunday
2. Give thanks for Sam and Krystal Beatty – a wedding that honoured Christ, was a real joy to be part of.
3. Many returning back to full health.
4. Worship on Sunday – thankyou Paul, Suzy, Gina, Zac, Richard, Bec, and Tim.
5. All those who faithfully serve in ministries, Worship, Sound/Technical/Kids Church/ Cell Groups/Admin - Bulletins/Finances/Property/Welcoming/Spiritual Leadership/Cafe
6. Joy, peace and grace we see at CBC. Thankyou Lord
Announcements
1. Remember to check your duty rosters.
2. Members’ meeting 28th August after the morning service.
3. Church bank details bsb:- 704 913 and Acc number:- 4000 4388 1
4. Tune in again this week on our youtube page. Subscribe to the CBC channel Chuwar Baptist YouTube channel.
Catechism question for August...
Q. 7. What is hell? A. A place of dreadful and endless punishment & torment.
