Jesus Our Ministry (Colossians 3 verse 18 to 4 verse 18)

Introduction

“The gospel is not a doctrine of the tongue, but of life. It cannot be grasped by reason and memory only, but it is fully understood when it possesses the whole soul and penetrates to the inner recesses of the heart.”

John Calvin

Throughout Colossians we see that the Gospel (the grace of God and the Lordship of Jesus Christ) must impact every part of our lives- heart, soul, mind and strength. Jesus is Lord over the entire cosmos- so He is Lord over every aspect of our lives. This includes our homes, workplaces and every other relationship we have.

As we consider God’s Word today we will continue to explore how a changed relationship with God means a change in relationships for God. In our passage we will see three key teachings about how the Lordship of Christ and the grace of God impact our relationships with God, our fellow Believers, and the world around us. A changed relationship with God means a change in how we view…

…the people in our relationships…

…the purpose of our relationships…

…the priorities in our relationships.

A changed relationship with God must transform the way we live with others and for God.

We see this, firstly, as we consider that a changed relationship with God means a change in how we view… …the people in our relationships…

Throughout God’s Word we are taught that we are all fellow image bearers of God and in Christ we are recipients of His saving grace.

In Christ we have all we need- He is our true source of fulfilment and the firm foundation of our  real identity. In Christ we are recipients of God’s lavish grace and objects of God’s eternal affection. There are no second-class citizens in the Kingdom of God. And so, a changed relationship with God will mean a change in how we view the people in our relationships.

In Colossians 3 verses 18 to 4 verse 1 we see this truth is applied, firstly and directly, to families and the workplace. As we said last week, what God says in these verses seems old fashioned and offensive to contemporary ears. But what is said in these verses would have been hugely countercultural to the original audience as well. When we fully and properly understand what is being said here we see that it is not old fashioned or chauvinistic but liberating and transformative.

In Colossae 2,000 years ago a wife had no legal rights and her husband effectively owned her as a piece of property- she was to obey her husband and his word was law. In the case of children, the father was free to treat his children how he wanted. The whole family was at the mercy of a sinful, fallen man- his moods, his desires, his ambitions. It is into this oppressive context God does several amazing things which all flow from the Gospel.

Firstly, by addressing wives, children and slaves both with and before husbands, fathers and masters he gives them a status they never had. They are people with privileges and responsibilities. They are given personhood and recognised as fellow image bearers. They have roles to play as people of equal value and worth in God’s sight.

Secondly, while there is hierarchy there is also equality. God commands an order in the home where all have the privileges and responsibilities that promote the flourishing of each other in their given roles. And, finally, God calls Believers to see those in the workplace as fellow objects of grace and God’s affection and allow that to change the workplace dynamic. This flows from a Gospel of Grace where each soul is valued and given worth in Christ.

So, in Christian households husbands and wives live to push each other closer to who they are supposed to be in Christ. The Husband loves His wife and seeks to see her flourish by pointing her to Jesus and the fullness of life found in Him alone. The Husband loves His wife as Christ loved the Church- he dies to his old self and his selfish desires. And the wife responds by accepting his leading role- encouraging and challenging him with respect.

Now we must recognise that we will fall short of the ideal- husbands will not always and not fully love their wives like Christ loved the Church. Similarly, wives will struggle with ordering their lives under their husband. At this point it is important to remember the Gospel. In Christ we have the offer of forgiveness when we fail, and endless supplies of grace to help us pursue this holy calling.

A changed relationship with God means a change in how we view the people in our relationships. It also means a change in how we view… …the purpose of our relationships…

If we are Believers, then we have a new identity. In Christ we are Children of God, Citizens of the Eternal Kingdom, and agents of change in a fallen world. Our new identity, then, has given us a new purpose in our relationships: to display the grace of God that has been lavished on us in Christ.

In our contemporary world the purpose of relationships is often about meeting a need or fulfilling a desire. Ultimately many seek in human relationships what only Christ can provide.

However, as those in Christ we seek the things above- we know that our every need has been met fully in Christ. In Christ our deepest need has been met and we are now free to live with purpose- to live full lives in the fullness that Christ supplies.

As blood bought, chosen and holy Children of God we are now called to display the glory of our Heavenly Father in our relationships- as spouses, parents, workers, friends and partners in the Gospel. This calls us to live with a drastically different mind and heart, attitude and action, word and thought.

For those of us who are parents we must always turn to Christ and the Gospel in our holy calling. We disciple our children through appropriate correction, gracious discipline, and faithful example. Parenting is about looking at the Cross as we point our children to the Cross. We trust our loving and gracious Father- that He is good and does what is right in His time- so we pray for our children and point them to Christ at every opportunity.

They must see the Gospel in us as we parent from an attitude of grace and love not anger and frustration. We must not lead them to despair by being over critical or setting standards and rules which are more for our convenience than for their sanctification. If we are objects of God’s great affection and recipients of His lavish grace then we must disciple and discipline with affection, grace, and love for the good of our children and the glory of God.

In our work we seek to glorify God also- we see this in Chapter 3 verse 22 to 4 verse 1. It is beyond the scope of this sermon to look every aspect of these verses at present. For now, let us focus on God’s command in verse 23:

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord…

In the Gospel Believers are set free to do their best in every undertaking. So, for example, Believers are free to give their all in the workplace to every task whether they get the credit they deserve or are ignored completely; whether the boss is watching or not we work to please the Lord.

Christians, therefore, should be the best they can and do the best they can. Why? Because we are working for God. Our job is part of our act of whole life worship. We don’t just worship on a Sunday in church- every day, every second, every task is an act of worship if done with the right attitude and intention. As we leave this place today, Believers, we exit to worship- in our homes, workplaces, schools- because all of it should be done for the Lord Christ.

God also commands employers: treat your employees fairly and properly remembering whose you are and whose they are. As an employer you are called to care for your employees as way of showing them how you have been cared for in Christ.

 

 

 

Jesus is Lord of our marriages, our families and our workplaces and schools. He wants the Gospel to bring fulfilment in all our relationships and as it does it will spill over to those we are in relationship with- the purpose of our relationship will no longer be about self-fulfilment but about Kingdom building and bringing glory to God.

A changed relationship with God means a change in how we view the people in our relationships, and how we view the purpose of our relationships. It also means a change in how we view… …the priorities in our relationships.

A new purpose will provoke a new priority. For example, if you want to get fit, you cut out the takeaways and the couch time and you make time for the gym and cooking healthy food.

A changed relationship with God means a change in relationships for God. And a changed relationship with God will lead to new priorities in those relationships. Notice what Paul says in verses 2 to 6 of Chapter 4:

² Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. ³ And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. ⁴ Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. ⁵ Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. ⁶ Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Here we see the tree key priorities in our relationships with God, our fellow Believers, and the world around us.

 

Firstly there is the call to cultivate a life of persistent prayer. Secondly, there is need to humbly partner with fellow Believers for the sake of the Gospel. And finally, Believers are to live with purpose and intent that provides opportunities to witness for Jesus.

The Christian life is to be a life of constant communication with our Father in Heaven who loves us and will provide for us. So we must make prayer a priority in our lives. We must be committed to making time to pray. And we must remember the great privilege of prayer.

In Christ we have been adopted into the Family of God and have full and free access to the Father. Through the work of Jesus, we can ‘ascend the hill of the Lord’. This truth alone should provoke us into prayer more often with a thankful spirit and a watchful mind.

Notice that prayer is to be devoted and watchful, as well as thankful. When we come to pray we must be alert and we must come aware of our need and the needs of others. We must be specific in our prayers, and we must be intentional. We must know the God we pray to and the people we pray for. All of this should and must be in the context of a heart of gratitude.

The Christian life is to be a life of constant communication with our Father in Heaven. And the Christian life is to be a life of witnessing to the grace we have experienced through Jesus.

In verses 5 and 6 we learn that we are to live with purpose and intent as we seek to witness for the God who loved and gave Himself for us. If we are to share the message of Jesus and His wonderful love then we must be careful about our walk and our words.

 

We are to walk in a manner worthy of the Gospel- living to please God and not be conformed to the patterns of this world. We are to speak in such a way that engages people where they are at. We are to be sensitive and sensible with the Gospel of grace. We treat others in a gracious way, as God in Christ has treated us.

Our witness to the world is to be clear, intentional, and bathed in prayer. I am sure each of us struggles at times with what this means in practice, so let me read an exert from Dick Lucas’ commentary on Colossians which might provide encouragement and direction…

[Read Lucas p. 174]

Ultimately we partner with God and with each other. In verses 7 to 17 Paul lists people who he has partnered with and the interesting thing here is that they all had stories and gifts that they submitted to Jesus and offered to fellow Kingdom people for the building of the Kingdom. As the Gospel took hold in their lives it changed them and their relationships.

We must humbly partner with others for the sake of Gospel ministry. Not all of us are preachers but we are all called to embrace the adventure of spreading the Gospel. We are called to discover and use our gifts and talents as one body working together, and we are called to partner with each other as we offer encouragement and support in whatever ways God will lead us to do so.

 

 

 

This is a powerful calling fuelled by the privilege and blessing that flows from being in Christ. Our relationship with God has changed through Christ and so our relationships and our living must change for Christ. As we pursue Christlikeness as a response to Christ’s Lordship and Salvation we remember it is all done in, and through, and by and for the grace first shown to us in Christ.

 

Conclusion

The Lordship of Christ and the grace of God must impact our relationships with God, our fellow Believers, and the world around us. A changed relationship with God means a change in how we view…

…the people in our relationships…

…the purpose of our relationships…

…the priorities in our relationships.

A changed relationship with God means a change in relationships for God. In Christ we are now objects of God’s great affection, dearly loved children, a chosen people. These truths, this Gospel, must have impact on how we live with others and for God. So let us leave this place pondering the love and grace shown to us in Christ and how we might share that love and grace with those around this day and the days to come.