Colossians Ep 2
by Raymond Sloan
September 10, 2020 · Cornerstone Apostolic Church
Kind: teaching
Scripture: Colossians 3:1-4, Colossians 3:5-7, Colossians 3:8-11, Colossians 3:12-15, Colossians 3:16-17, Colossians 3:18-25, Colossians 4

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/raymond-sloan--colossians-ep-2
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

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welcome everybody one more time welcome once again to our midweek wednesday bible study i am so glad that you have decided to join with us this evening in our uh endeavor to get deeper into the word of the lord and understand more and more about the things of god so glad that you've decided to join us uh every week we have been trying on our midweek bible study to stream to you um something in the word of the lord okay the last several weeks of course we have been looking at the epistles the letters that paul wrote to the churches in the new testament uh tonight we are going to conclude another one of those letters the book of colossians that's in your bible so get your bible your notepad gather people around your family around the computer or the phone with ipad whatever you're watching on come in close so everybody can hear and make sure that you spend some time looking at the word of the lord and digging deeper try to understand the way that grow and to mature in the word of god understanding more about the word of god of course helps us every day our desires to grow to be fruitful our desire is to flourish and to please the lord that's why we are as a church we are growing deeper looking week after week into the word of the lord um so here we go we're going to get started with prayer and i want to give you some time to gather up your bible and so forth but also as you're doing so let me remind you pray for our church pray for cornerstone apostolic church we want to find the direction that god is leading us in pray for chattanooga our community pray for the united states of america our leadership pray for protection and provision over our country right now we desperately need the hand of the lord to move in our hearts and in our lives also pray for our military men and women pray for our first responders let's take time and pray for missionaries tonight let's pray for the hand of the lord to bless and to move and our families your co-workers your neighbors your family members i know that the the answers that we need comes as we pray as we look to god all right so let's begin our our session tonight with prayer come on join with me lord once again we gather together we get our word out we get the bible out lord we get our our notebooks out god i pray for some guidance and direction tonight i plead the blood of jesus over our hearts and our minds help us lord as we study your word let us have a clear understanding let our hearts dear god want to know more about you and desire to to get closer to you i pray lord for our church god bless cornerstone apostolic church i pray for direction and guidance concerning our church future lord i pray for our community bless chattanooga i pray lord for the united states of america i pray for our government for our leaders i pray that peace dear god i pray lord that that hope would be breathed into the lives of people tonight in the name of jesus lord i pray for our military men and women our first responders that are on the front lines god bless and protect them tonight we also lord pray a special prayer on our missionaries around the globe god bless them and provide safety and provision and protection for them lord you know every family every heart every home every individual tonight that's represented i pray god your glory would rest upon the church lord you know the physical financial emotional and spiritual needs that need to happen we call on your name jesus for there is no other name given among men whereby we must be saved only your name jesus can save us help us tonight as we go deeper into your word let us understand and comprehend give us clarity of purpose and mind lord i pray i plead your blood right now in jesus name amen amen all right just a quick overview as i've already mentioned we are going to go into colossians chapter 3 and 4 tonight but just an overview of last week's session we understand that paul when he wrote this letter he was actually writing from a jail cell in the city of rome he is still attempting to be a positive influence on the churches throughout the land in which he had had a hand in trying to establish and get going uh now we've already discovered in other letters that we've looked into that paul was very specific in his writing he was very determined to encourage the brethren the sisters encourage the the leadership of those churches he was trying to to give some direction and guidance those coming out of their the world and the idolatry they were in he was trying to give them some specific teachings and it's no different here in colossians they're trying to pull away from the old lifestyles and customs and come into this revelation if you will just like paul did knowing that he is very very frank with them have you noticed that he is very forthright he wants to support him he wants to encourage them but he also wants them to follow the spirit of god as it leads and guides them okay he's always got their best at his heart he always wants for them to grow and to to get deeper and closer to god this particular setting in the letter to the colossians is no different this is just a different group of people yet they need the same kind of instruction and paul is trying to deal with that and trying to help and encourage them and to point them in the right way so as we look further into the word of the lord colossians chapter 3 notice what it says in verse 1 if ye then be risen with christ seek those things which are above where christ sitteth on the right hand of god set your affection on things above not on things on the earth for ye are dead and your life is hid with christ and god when christ who is our life shall appear then shall ye also appear with him in glory okay first thing paul says as he's continuing here in this letter is he encourages them the members of the church to look to the things that jesus is leading them as individuals and as the body look to jesus for the things to do paul's love for them is incredible agreed but also paul is letting them know that it is because of the love of jesus christ that is in him that is in them that they can grow and prosper the earthly possessions for an example those powers the things that are made of flesh if you will those will fade all right and paul's letting them know that he he lives forever the lord jesus christ his word we are hidden with christ that means we have been placed in him things of the world they don't have to affect we can actually rest in the power and in the presence of the lord jesus christ if you're looking for the hand of the lord in your life you can find it all right if you're trying to discover how that the love of your life needs to be in christ jesus then that's what you have to run to paul's telling them don't set the heart your condition your position of your heart on earthly things but instead set them on things that are godly all right once you've started in that new birth experience then you will continue day in and day out growth and the maturity the more and the more that you seek after him you're in his plan okay mom and dad you're in his plan kids you're in god's plan and the things that are in your past the things that have bothered you or affected you before you can keep them away from you as you draw closer to the lord jesus christ it's all in god's timing all right sometimes that's hard it's a great challenge for us to accept the fact that it's going to happen in his time right but if we'll continuously stay connected hidden in him look for the things of heaven he's going to bless he's going to move right it continues here in verse number five now he gives some direct instruction to them and he basically this is what he says he says mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth and he begins to mention them fornication uncleanness inordinate affection evil concupiscence and covetousness which is idolatry for which things sake the wrath of god cometh on the children of disobedience all right verse 7 says in the witch he also walked sometime when you lived in them but now you also put off these things continues with this list anger wrath malice blasphemy filthy communication out of your mouth lie not one to another verse 9 says seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds and have put on the new man which is renewed in the knowledge of after the image of him that created him where there is neither greek nor jew circumcision nor uncircumcision barbarian scethium bond or free but christ is all and in all mortify that's a strong word mortified that means to kill or put to death to kill off and then he begins to list those things that you you i mean we people humanity that we have to do away with mortify kill them off if you will in our hearts and in our minds and he lists them the works of the flesh the things of the minding of the of the inner man and that's fornication uncleanness inordered affection which is not correct intimacy evil concupiscence that's evil sexual desire covetousness he says this is idolatry then anger and wrath and malice and blasphemy filthy communication lying to others all of these things paul is specific on you notice that it's not just a a roll of a dice or just a any meanie mining mode no he's he's specific here these things are going to hurt you and you got to put them away you got to allow them to die off all right that is those things are actions of the old man things that will destroy and things that will harm the spiritual man all right and paul makes certain that we understand there is a power in the choice that we make okay choosing to clean up your life is a choice that you and i that we have to make your flesh is going to drive you to do bad things and we know that's true right mom and dad that's what you're trying to teach your kids is that if they'll follow after the flesh it's going to lead them into a bad attitude a bad way and they'll have to pay a penalty for that right it's the same thing in the spirit if you'll follow the spirit of god he'll lead you into the good things but those are choices we have to make change your mind change the way you think and allow the spiritual man to put away to mortify those things that are going to destroy you now paul doesn't just say all right get rid of all of these things because you probably in times past have walked through some of them all of them or various ones of them but notice how he continues in verse 12 put on therefore as the elect of god holy and beloved bowels of mercies kindness humbleness of mind meekness long suffering forbearing one another and forgiving one another if any man have a quarrel quarrel against any even as christ forgave you so also do ye verse 14 and above all things put on charity which is the bond of perfectness and let the peace of god rule in your hearts to the which also you are called in one body and be you thankful paul continues here put off those bad those things choose not to do those bad things but then he says this is what i want you to do get rid of those negative things but do these positive things bowels of mercies inside of you you need to have mercy on people he even calls kindness humbleness of mind meekness long-suffering forbearing one another having patience one with another forgiving one another and through all of that he he specifically emphasizes charity love now if you want the god of peace to rule in your heart then you need to make a choice to put down bad things and pick up good things let the spirit of your your man you humanity lay aside the bad stuff and pick up the good stuff and in every situation if the good things of god are and and have possession and they're having free reign in your life then you can be thankful in every situation a thankful heart is another sign of maturity and growth you understand that it also demonstrates that you trust jesus you trust that he knows what's best for you you trust that he understands what you're going through and he has you on his mind now paul continues here in chapter three listen to verse 16 let the word of christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another he mentions psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing with grace in your hearts unto the lord and whatsoever you do in word or deed do all in the name of the lord jesus giving thanks to god and by and the father by him we have to permit the bible the scriptures the word of god to be the leading force in our lives all right god's word is truth say amen our god's word is truth so much so that no matter what you're doing working on the job interacting at a store communicating with family members doesn't matter you do it all as if god is the recipient understand that as if the actions and attitudes that you have are what you want god to see in you okay you do it all as unto the lord with thankfulness you're glad to be able to do that now notice here as we go through this now paul switches gears and he's done this in a couple of his letters again he's trying to help the churches he's in a jail he's still writing to these church people telling leading and helping them notice what he says in verse 18 wives submit yourselves unto your own husbands as it is fit in the lord husbands love your wives be not bitter against them children obey your parents in all things for this is well pleasing unto the lord fathers promote provoke not your children to anger lest they be discouraged servants obey in all things your masters according to the flesh not with eye service as men pleasers but in singleness of heart fearing god verse 23 and whatsoever you do do it heartily as unto the lord not unto men knowing that the lord that of the lord you shall receive the reward of the inheritance for you serve the lord christ but he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done and there is no respect of persons paul mentions now just as he did in other letters the final part coming to an end here on chapter number three he mentions relationships okay relationships husbands wives children servants okay he mentions these because when you walk in flesh and you're you're dealing one with another and family co-workers and neighbors and whoever it happens to be the relationships the way you interact with one another is a reflection of how you're interacting with him okay in the home outside the home on the job everything we do we do as unto the lord that's the important part here that paul is trying to get to church at colossians to understand just like he did with ephesians and philippians just like you did with galatians trying to get them to comprehend that what you're doing is not just a a a system that doesn't make sense to humanity it is actually godly okay that's why you teach your kids to be nice that's why you on the job you you maintain a right attitude the work that you do it's for the lord it doesn't matter what you get paid who it's for if you're doing it for something for someone for a company you work with or whatever heartily give it your all okay do it your best do it as unto the lord as if god is the recipient of it now in these relationships of course paul is again trying to help those who are coming out of idolatry and and the things of the world and the systems and customs and cultures of the society it applies today in 2020 just the same okay now i see we shift gears and go into chapter four basically what i discover here is that in chapter four of colossians we can see the manner in which paul writes to the churches okay because almost all of chapter 4 of this letter is basically making mention of the workers of the disciples that are following jesus the disciples that are working with him and he's very careful to mention names and he's also very careful to mention how that they work in unity how that uh they when they are or are thrown into prison they're in it together how that when somebody is suffering they're in it together how that when they're growing and maturing together they're doing that he is such a complimenter okay he's a promoter and as he writes from a jail cell and sends word with his disciples to them he even makes mention to them in chapter four to make sure that as they read the letter they do it these workers they read the letter as if paul were there himself and then the the writers or the readers excuse me of the letter to the church need to feel what paul was feeling when he wrote it to them okay his friends disciples those who are gathered around him they are suffering they are celebrating they are loving god they're in the work of god together friend that is what you and i can learn from in this letter to the church of colossians all right we're in it together we're working side by side we're in the in the the journey we're in the in the church we all have our part position and we all have our makeup in the body the fact of the matter is is that as we cur encourage one another and we strengthen one another we are growing and maturing listen you need to help and encourage as many folk as you can in the kingdom all right people need to hear good positive things today mom and dad listen when you give your children a memory verse and they do it encourage them uh when when they do something good let them know that's a biblical principle that you just did when when uh husbands and wives and you're dealing with relationships with with others and so forth make sure you understand completely how that god is using you and your walk with him to influence others okay now as we come to a close here in in this letter to the colossians what we need to understand is that we've got to stay connected we all have our place in the relationships we build we've got to submit one to another and submit to the things of god this has been repeated time and again to the different churches all right we need to learn that okay i have my place and you have yours we all do what we do as unto the lord i want to encourage you this week i want to encourage you as you study this on your own as i've said many many times take time and look deeper into some of the specific verses get a bible dictionary out or even a regular dictionary look up words show your kids this is what this means okay get get some interest in this kingdom of god i've got just some examples here of different translations or different ways to study the bible i put those there just so you could see there's ways that you can understand the scriptures listen friend 2020 the day and age in which we live we've got to fall in love with the things of god and the word of god it has to become part of who we are our makeup and our character our personality and the things that we do let's pray or i don't want us to pray uh pray for the church all right pray that god will make opportunity to use you to use us me the the church to move the the message forward listen when you help others you're doing god's work all right that past week we we mentioned to you about going and taking just a handful of supplies down to hurricane victim victims in south louisiana that's kingdom worker that's kingdom work that's kingdom work okay helping them praying with them that allows us to work in unity and harmony one with another that's what paul's mentioning here in these letters all right so as we close we're going to pray together that god will help us to be an encouragement to one another and that the lord god would help us to do what we are called to do for this hour let's serve our generation well would you help me pray lord for our time together tonight i am thankful i pray the blessing of the lord upon each one god that is sitting through this bible study that's got their bible out lord i pray that revelation would come to them and understanding of the things of god lord let us hunger and thirst for righteousness i pray in your name give us the guidance and direction we need to see victory and to see revival in our church and in our city and in our families in jesus name bless every family every heart and every home i love you forever in jesus name we pray amen amen