Colossians 3:1;17

Medway 2022

Recap…

  • Paul in this epistle to the Colossians deals with …
    • The supremacy of Christ …
      • Creator of all things …
      • All authority and power
      • Firstborn over all creation …
    • The sufficiency of Christ …
      • Meeting all our needs …
      • And securing victory over all powers and authorities …l.e. Satan
    • Because of who he is , he is able to fulfill all of his promises to us …
      • Consequently in him we have …
        • Fullness in Christ … Colossians 2:9
        • A new heart … Colossians 2:11
        • Forgiveness of all sin…
        • By his Spirit we have the ability to walk worthy of him …Colossians 1:10
  • Paul leaves us in no doubt that …
    • Jesus Christ is the supreme and all sufficient one.
    • Before God all who are in Christ are …
      • Faultless … Jude 24
      • Without blemish and free from accusation …Colossians 1:22
    • It all adds up to sound doctrine …
      • Which needs to be applied to each and every life. 
  • In chapters 3 and 4 Paul then moves on to the application of the doctrine
    • It is very important that we understand that all doctrine demands a response from us…
    • This is God speaking to us in his grace and mercy …
      • We can’t just ignore it …
        • We either accept and enjoy God’s blessing
        • Or reject it … and receive God's condemnation.
        • Either way there are consequences.
    • Sound doctrine and appropriate application thereof… dictates our lifestyle and eternal future.
  • The problem was that in the Roman Grecian world their religious beliefs had no connection with their morality …
    • So in chapters 3 and 4 Paul is teaching a totally new way of life…
      • It is a life of submission which in the culture of the day and in our culture today is regarded as weakness.
      • But in scripture it is a virtue. 

Submission …

  • Submission the despised and dreaded word …
    • That in our minds carries little or no benefit …
      • Rather hardship, servitude, abuse, self denial.
  • Yet the coming and life of Jesus was one of total submission …
    • In childhood he submits to his earthly parents…Luke 2:51
    • To his heavenly Father will throughout his life…
      • I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of my Father who sent me… John 6;38
        • The Fathers will was his command  … John 8:29.
    • In his death he, in submission, gave up his life …John 10:18
      • Not my will but yours be done … Luke 22:42
    • He gave up his status in heaven to come and meet the needs of his people… Philippians 2:5-6
      • They rejected and despised him but that did not deter him.
      • Because he submitted to the Fathers will …
    • Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her … Ephesians 5:25
      • Dare I suggest that without Jesus' submission there would be no salvation for you and I today.
  • Today we do gymnastics with the meaning of words in order to develop a doctrine that suits our lifestyle… e.g. submission.
    • But in fact we should apply gymnastics to our lifestyle to make it fit the sound doctrine.
      • So he says in the passage under consideration …Colossians 3:7-9
        • You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.
        • But now you must put on the new self.
      • You must become in experience what you already are in Christ
  • So what exactly does submit  mean …
    • Because Jesus submitted everything to meet your needs
  • The Greek word is Hupotasso …
    • Hupo … under
      • Tasso … arrange in order, in an orderly manner, be subject to.
    • It is essentially a military term …
      • Where you have men arranged in orderly fashion, by rank …
        • General, colonel, captain, sergeants and privates…
      • However the rank does not make the man a better or lesser person.
        • History names many a general who were utterly despicable.
        • Hitler, Putin, Pol Pot of Cambodia, Commodos, Nero, etc
    • Rank is not about standing but about responsibility
      • God is the God of order and therefore arranges us in society in an orderly fashion…
        • Tasso … to arrange in order.
      • You learn in the military service that you obey (Submit to) orders whether you like or agree with the commander.
        • Because unity is strength …
        • When the Captain says charge … all must charge.
      • Julius Caesar was Rome's greatest General …
        • He overran Gaul in 50b.c. with half the army the Gauls had.
          • The Gauls were a hotch potch army of many tribes.
          • Caesar's soldiers were trained and united under the Roman banner … until death us do part. 
    • So submission is not about the standing of the individual but about responsibility within a given team…
      • The family, the work place , the church are all teams.
    • No general has ever won a battle without the privates.
  • Hupotasso is written in the …
    • Present tense … Make it a lifestyle
    • Imperative mood …It is a command
    • In the middle voice …
      • It is self initiated … Requires a willing spirit …
        • In recognition of the commander …with a smile.
  • So Paul in line with sound doctrine says … Submit … change your lifestyle …
  • So hupotasso … clearly means …Submit
    • Arrange yourself below another …
      • It is imperative … a command
      • It is for the sake of order …Beneficial
      • It comes without conditions.

Submitting to Christ …

  • But Lawrence submit is only used once in Colossians 3 and 4.?
    • Why are you making such a big deal about it …
  • In the context of these chapters we are dealing with relationships in all of society.
    •  My relationship with God and the Lord Jesus … vs 1-17
    • Family relationships … vs 18-21
    • Employer employee relationships  …vs 22-4:1
    • Church relationships … vs 2-7
      • The context tells us all relationships require submission
  • What is the greatest hindrance we see in sibling rivalries in our homes …
    • Status … submission one to the other.
      • I don't have to do what he/she says.
  • Where does the problem start …
    • My relationship with Christ… Impacts every part of my life …
      • Husbands and wives …
      • Parent and child.
      • Employees and employers.
      • And the church.
  • So that is Paul's starting point.
    • Here he homes in on practical application so that we become in experience what we already are by God's Grace.

The Reminder …

  • He starts by reminding us of our privileged position in Christ …
    • Since you are raised with Christ …vs 1
    • You died (past), your life is hidden in Christ (present), when he appears you will appear with him in glory (future) … vs. 3,4
      • This is a brief but accurate reminder of the sound doctrine .
  • We died too …
    • The world of sin, power of sin, the authority of Satan, claims of the law.
  • We now live in Christ and he in us. …
    • Enabling us to walk and fellowship with him…
  • We look to the future in hope of his return …
    • Because he will lead us in triumph.
  • As believers we need to remember these things … daily
    • Because with privilege goes responsibility…

Responsibility …

  • Since …set your mind and heart in heaven… vs 1
    • Because, as a consequence of, therefore.
  • As a consequence of …
    • You have been raised with Christ and you have died to sin …
    • Because he is your life …vs 3
    • Because our future lies with him …vs 4
    • Because he is with the Father in heaven … vs 1
  • Where should our hearts and minds be …
    • On heavenly things where Christ is. .. vs 2
    • E.g. Peter Donaldson is living in England and his family are here …
      • Where do you think his heart and mind are??
        • Why does he phone every day???
      • Because he loves them … They are his family.
      • And where they are there his heart and mind are.
  • Where is your heart …
    • The three point test …
      • Your cheque book … shows true value
      • Calendar …What you make time for
      • Your home …  All you have accumulated
    • Spurgeon …
      • The nearer to God the less swayed by worldly things …
    • Mac Arthur …
      • To reach the world you must first leave the world.        
  • Are you taking time to be holy … Speak oft with the Lord.

The Resource …

  • It is at this point that we jump up with our best defense …
    • Yes but how do I do it?
  • The answer is simple …
    • The same way as you do everything else …
    • You want a good job that demands a higher qualification …and pays a fantastic salary.
      • You make time to study, gain experience, reduce your social time, and work incredibly long hours…
        • You set your heart and mind on the objective in order to achieve…
  • Your Christian experience requires the same resourcefulness…
    • Set your heart and mind on things above …
      • Change your focus …
        • We are God’s chosen people … vs 12
    • It is of no use reading about training … and knowing about exercise if we don't do the exercises.
    • It does not help if we know the theology if we don't live it out. 
      • And the starting point is resetting our focus …
      • Setting our hearts … the things we love
      • Setting our minds … things we learn, know and practise.
  • But we focus on a person not a goal …
    • Christ seated at the right hand of God… vs 1
      • Christ is your life … vs 4
        • He is the resource and power.
    • The right hand of God is  …
      • Omnipotent power …Psalm 110:1 & Jude 24
      • Protection… Psalm 17:7 & 18:35
      • Promise… Romans 8:33-34
      • Provision ….  Isaiah 41:10
    • Set your hearts … set your minds on things above …vs 1-2  
      • Because that's where the power of Christ is available to us.
        • Being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might … Ch 1:11
          • No excuses about lack of power available to us.
    • In our own strength we cannot overcome …
      • Only the supreme Christ can overcome the powers and authorities.
      • And he enables us …
        • Clothe yourselves … vs 12
        • Put to death … earthly nature … vs 5
          • But to do that we must look to him…
            • Daily, moment by moment.
    • It is Christ who lives in me …Galatians 2:20

Practical Holiness …

  • Having said all of that notice the shift in responsibility from vs 5-17
    • We having been reminded that we have a glorious resource.
    • We are now responsible for becoming in experience what we already are by the grace of God.
  • The list of sins quoted in verses 5-11 are things I do as a result of the old nature
    • Sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire, greed which is idolatry.
      • Anger, rage, malice, slander, filthy language… vs 8,9.
    • But we are now a new creation and we have the Spirit within us who enables us to overcome …vs 12
      • So we must take up the responsibility to put these things off … vs 8
        • To clothe ourselves in pure garments of Christ… vs 12
      • And we achieve that by setting our minds on Christ…vs 10
        • Submitting to his authority.
  • When we do this the way we react to others also changes … vs 12-14
    • I become a better husband, father, employer. Congregant.
    • A better wife, child, employee, servant in the church.
  • Compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness are all virtues we find in Christ Jesus…
    • We must set our minds on Christ so that we can become like him …
      • Let this mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus … Philippians 2:5
      • For I gave you an example that you should also do as I did…John 13:15

Conclusion …

  • John McNeill’s story of the hobbled eagle.
    • Become in experience what you already are in Christ