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| Colossians 4 Memory Verses, Ephesians 2:8-9 Good Morning Brothers and Sisters, Tomorrow we go to 1 Thessalonians 1. I would like to take the opportunity to welcome WE Foxx back with us, his email was doing wierd things so I deleted him from the list. Apparently the error messages I received were in error and he is back with us again. Also would like to welcome Jay Miller to our study. He is an locomotive engineer on the railroad, and I had the opportunity to fellowship with him and WE all the way to Yermo last night. We are wrapping up Colossians today, this chapter focuses more on the final instructions that Paul gives to the church. All through this book he pointed out who we are in Jesus, and how to live according to our position in Chirst. Here he tells us to speak, to make use of the knowlege we have received to bring others to Jesus. He also shows us by example how to put into practice the Christian Life. Colossians 4:1 The thought is continued from Chapter 3 regarding instructions to slaves. Now on the flip side, Masters were to treat their slaves with justice and fairness. This idea had to have been strange to the people at Colossae. Slaves were thought of as things, not as persons. They were bought with a price, owned by the masters, and they were literally property. This radical thought that Paul introduces here is an example to us even today. Although we no longer have slaves, we have employee, employer relationships. If we approach our work, and if an employer approaches his employees in the same manner that we would do if Christ were here, God is glorified, God is our master. Paul doesn't leave well enough alone, and neither should we. The word used for "justice and fairness" could also be translated equal or equality. Unfortunately our language lets us down on this point. We are to treat our slaves or employees today as equal to ourselves, goes back to the golden rule, Matt 7:12, ".....treat people the same way you want them to treat you...." Also remember that the masters that were spoken to were Christians. We cannot expect the world to adhere to these standards, but as Christians, we live to a higher calling. Therefore when we approach our employees, we are to keep this attitude of equality. Remembering that we also have a Master in Heaven. Philemon 1:16-17 Colossians 4:2-3 Prayer, Talking with God. To persist constantly in prayer, being awake, alert, ready, with an attitude of thanksgiving. Paul is asking them to pray that the door to share the Gospel will be opened. We also need to do this in our churches. If we aren't concerned enough about the mission of our church to pray for it, are we serious about spreading the Gospel? Eph 6:18-20 Also, where is the thanksgiving in our prayers? Are we thankful for the answers and are we thankful equally for the problems? The problems that drive us to pray are something to be thankful for. They are the fire that will refine us and make us better Christians. 1 Cor 14:17, Philippians 4:6, 1 Thes 5:18. When I think about it, isn't thankfulness in everything kind of a difficult pill to swallow? Think about our group, for instance, Erik is in a wheelchair with a disease they haven't found a cure for. Chuck is in the hospital, where they are trying again to find a way to fix his heart. Don also has heart problems. Lee was just in an auto accident where his car was destroyed and he lost time from work because of an injury. Stephanie has cronic knee problems. Darrik is facing impossible odds trying to recruit for the Navy. On and on and on, all of us in our group have problems, lots of problems. Most of these problems we don't share with others, and they are just as big to us as other peoples problems are to them. What are we supposed to do with these, be thankful? Praise the Lord in everything? This is where the rubber meets the road in prayer, we are to pray constantly, being always watchful and on guard, and making sure that we have an attitude of thanksgiving. Colossians 4:3b-6 Preach it, talk with others. Pray that God will give us the wisdom to speak in a way to which the Gospel edifies other brothers and leads unbelievers to Him. That God will place the words on our hearts that we should speak. Although this is talking about witnessing, it goes one step further. Paul is asking that God "will open a door for the word", in other words, God will prepare the hearts of others to hear the word. And God will make a way available for us to have an opportunity to speak. He will make a way available for us to share about Him. When missionaries pray that God will open a door to a country they are talking about being able to enter that country to minister. When we think about opening a door to reach our community, how does God open that door? At our church we are seeking a door for the word in our community. We have plans in place to canvas the neighborhood and invite others to our church, and hopefully to introduce them to Jesus. Here we are again looking at one of the basic themes that has run through Colossians, God opens the door. God does the work. Since God has done the work, we are to follow suit. Faith in action. Paul tells us that time is a critical factor, we are to redeem the time. Along the same thought, we need to build the Word into our lives to the point that we talk about it. Salt makes people thirsty, and it also is a key ingredient to thinking straight. Another note on salt, it was used in the Jewish language a that time to symbolize wit. When we take every opportunity to share the Gospel, it still needs to be worth listening to. When we allow the Lord to work in our lives to the way that the Word comes out naturally in our speach, then others will be drawn to Jesus through us. Along the same line of thought, if we are not excited about Jesus and have an attitude of thanksgiving and praise in our lives, then how are we going to convince others to follow our Lord? When we put on the grace-clothes listed in chapter 3, and we walk in the Lord, it will be almost impossible for us to keep our mouths shut about Jesus. Witnessing will not be a drudgery, it will be the ultimate joy, an exciting experience which we are priviledged to take part in. We should not go around as Christians looking as if we were weaned on pickles. One more illustration comes to mind. In my life a year ago I heard that the President had a fitness test, where he ran 3 miles in less than 21 minutes and has a resting heartbeat of 44 beats per minute. I was 35 pounds heavier then, and could barely huff out a mile on a treadmill. I took that as encouragement and started on a physical fitness trip where I started with that mile, and gradually built myself up to where I can now run 10 miles or better, and have dropped 35 pounds in the process. I did not do that by wishing it away. It was a determined effort which I had to keep after. The very same is true in our christian lives. We want to witness to outsiders with wisdom, make the most of every opportunity, season our language with salt, and know how to respond in every situation. Here is where we have to make a determined effort, day in and day out, to do the basics for building our spiritual bodies. We have to make it a point to spend time in prayer and in the Word in order for God to build us up. Along with these two things, we have to fellowship with other believers, and edify each other building each other up. I praise God on this point, due to my job it is hard for me to make it to church on a regular basis. I go at every opportunity. But as many of you know, I have found a goldmine of Christians on the railroad. These brothers are running stealth mode, and God is showing them to me one by one. Many are now part of our study. What I am trying to say is that God has already prepared the open doors for us, but we must be willing to walk through them. There are many brothers running stealth at all of our workplaces, pray that God will flush them out, and start fellowshipping with them on a daily basis. There are a lot of hurting and lost people in our workplaces, communities, and even in some of our families, let's pray that God will open the door to them. And let's make sure we are willing to immerse ourselves into Jesus Christ, spending time in His word, and spending time praying. Colossians 4:7-18 A report from the team. Paul had a team of believers camped around him. As we read through this list, note that none of them are recognized because they were pew warmers. These were men of action. Also note that Luke was included in the group, we just finished studying the Gospel of Luke, and we see that he is actively participating in Paul's ministry. Lord, as each one of us studies this chapter, I ask that You will open our spiritual eyes so that we can see how to build Your word and Your thoughts into our lives. Season our lives with Your salt, demonstrating daily in our lives the grace that You have given us. Open the doors of opportunity for each one of us to share You with others, and place Your word in our hearts and minds. In Him, Joe Turner |
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