Scripture Colossians
3:17-24
17
And Whatever you do, whether in word or
deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father
through him.
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 embitter
your children, or they will become discouraged.
22 Slaves, obey your earthly
masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win
their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.
23
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not
for men, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a
reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
17
And Whatever you do, whether in word or
deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father
through him. Vs 17 could be about any aspect of
life. Sounds like our entire life should reflect Jesus as the moon reflects the
sun which is our way of giving thanks to God for life.
18
Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Paul did not argue the
legal
status of the day as people would in our day. Men were the legal authority in
the home – period. It had to do with position – not importance or value. It was
a directive of temperament that would be kind and pleasing and peaceful. It is
a call of all Christians to submit to one another. For children and slaves the
word obey is Active Imperative where submit is in the middle voice rendering it
a choice which is ‘fitting in the Lord.’
19
Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. The primary purpose of marriage was to produce offspring.
Paul Veyne said, “love in marriage was a stroke of good fortune, it was not the
basis of the institution.” But a Christian husband is commanded to ‘love his
wife as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her.
20
Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Ephesians
6:1-3 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "Honor
your father and mother"-which is the first commandment with a promise—
"that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the
earth." Just like husbands are to love the wife who chooses to submit,
so the Father loves the children who are obedient. It goes back to the first
verse for today: Whatever you
do*, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving
thanks to God the Father through him. Wives, husbands, children, Fathers
21
Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged. Who wants
children that live a discouraged life? If the parent doesn’t encourage (put
courage into…) the world sure won’t.
Some parents feel so inferior, that discouraging their children makes
them feel better. NO! A parent’s job is to encourage your children to be the
best they can be in the most positive way – what we did with driving…
LAST GROUP:
22
Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their
eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence
for the Lord.
Some would say that Paul is affirming slavery by
addressing them here. The opposite is true. He can’t change the institution of
slavery but he can treat slaves like everyone else. Considered as property, one
thing slaves lacked was self-respect. Paul treats them as morally responsible
individuals like he would anyone else. By doing so, they are elevated to the
status of “real people” and Christians regardless of their socio economic
status. Illustration: selling pencils to store manager.
23
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord*, not
for men, My Rainbow/janitor story – Living this
principle this will change your life!
24
since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.
It is the Lord Christ you are serving. If your
hard work doesn’t pay in this life it will in the next, and it doesn’t matter
because your excellence at work shows how much you love Jesus!
"KEEP THE
WORKDAY HOLY"
Bumper-sticker
philosophy, "I owe, I owe, so off to work I go." For a vast portion
of the workforce, that's the best reason they can muster for going to the job
each day. According to one poll, only 43 percent of American office workers are
satisfied with their jobs.
In
Christ our jobs should have more meaning than a paycheck: Martin Luther wrote,
"The maid who sweeps her kitchen is doing the will of God just as much as
the monk who prays - not because she may sing a Christian hymn as she sweeps
but because God loves clean floors. The Christian shoemaker does his Christian
duty not by putting little crosses on the shoes, but by making good shoes,
because God is interested in good craftsmanship."
Do good works for God by doing good work for your employer.
MR>
ROGERS NEIGHBORHOOD
The
late Fred Rogers, creator and host of the much-loved children's television
program Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, had a special understanding of his
ministry and his work. His widow, Joanne Rogers, told a journalist: "I
always remind people that he was an ordained Presbyterian minister and his
educational children’s show was his ministry. His work was his ministry, and he
loved his work; my, did he love his work. That's what makes me sad about losing
him. Because I think he would have worked for a long time more if he could
have.” When we honor God and help people, then our work and ministry blend
together in pleasing service to the Lord. Mister Rogers showed us how we can do
that in our own neighborhood/Work/or School.
Does your work seem like a waste of
time? Imagine what life would be like if nobody bothered to do the job you do.
1. No matter
what our task, it's our duty to work for God's glory. In this sense, no job is
better than another. Each should result in honor to God.
2. The way we
work can earn the respect of those who do not follow Christ. A boss shouldn't
have to tell a Christian to use time well or to work hard.
3. Our work is
one way to fulfill our dual purpose: to love God and others. Showing love to
our co-workers is a good way to show that we love God.
4. We must work
to provide for those who depend on us. Harsh words of criticism are reserved
for those who don't take care of their family. 1 Tim 5:8 If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his
immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
Having a job can
be hard work. Even for those who truly enjoy their jobs, it's nice to have a
Labor Day breather. But until the day comes when our work is over, our task is
to make our labor a testimony to God's glory. It's not the hours you put in
that count, but what you put in the hours.
As
you wake up each day – what will you invest in the hours you have at work? Not
how will you get through the day, but how will you invest that time each day
when you work as though working for the Lord? Hear our text a final time with
the word today interjected throughout.
CONCLUSION
Add the word TODAY in the text below
Whatever you do TODAY, whether in word or
deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father
through him.
Wives, submit to your husbands TODAY, as is fitting in the Lord.
Husbands, love your wives TODAY and do not be harsh with them.
Children, obey your parents in everything TODAY, for this pleases the
Lord.
Fathers, do not embitter your children TODAY, or they will become
discouraged.
Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything TODAY; and do it, not
only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of
heart and reverence for the Lord.
Whatever you do TODAY, work at it with all
your heart TODAY, as working for the Lord TODAY, not for men, since you know
that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord
Christ you are serving TODAY.
Do THIS and you will be Equipped for a Labor Day
of Love!
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