Hello friends and family and thank you for joining us here for this week's message "Who Are We in Christ?" studying from the book of Colossians. We thank you for those joining us live on Paltalk, for those in our home and also those who read these notes each week on the several websites that I have continually shared them on.
Last week, we were in Colossians 3 and reading from verses 18 and 19, looking at husbands and wives and it got a bit quiet. I do hope that there were some key points that will stick with all who attended and that they might help you in your family and in your walk with God. Praise the Lord! Please turn to Colossians 3:20.Today we will continue in our study and still looking into family, but this time we will look into parents and the relationships that God desires for children and parents. Colossians 3:20 KJV Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. Do you suppose the youth are pleasing God? From what I see around this community and see on TV and what the kids watch on TV and their computers, I know God is not pleased. Oops, probably most of them just tuned me out. Kids, many adults tune me out when I mention things from the Bible that need to change in our lives. My question is, do you want to live like this dying world and become part of it, or do we want to live our lives for Christ and because our faith is in Him and we surrender all the things that once kept us in bondage and we don't go back to them, now God will do great and mighty things in our lives. Glory to God. Parents and children, God desires that the home be ordered and that children submit to the teaching and discipline of their parents. When we look at what the Bible says about parenting and how the child is supposed to act, it sure doesn't look like what is happening in the world today. Even when I was a child, things were not like they should have been. Even some adults are not obeying their parents. Keep your place in Colossians, but let's look at the 10 Commandments on Children in Exodus 20, verse 12. God has given parents the position of raising children for the Lord. Exodus 20:12 KJV Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. This is a strong, important verse for us to get a understanding of. One, it is a commandment from our Creator. Praise God. Secondly, we all want a healthy, long life, Amen? Turn ahead a chapter and let's look at another verse in Exodus. Verse 21:17 Exodus 21:17 KJV And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death. Oops, should we be in obedience? Does this mean a physical death? Not necessarily, but a separation from God. Do we understand this, church? I'm not making this stuff up as we go along. It is why I want you to see it for yourselves, from the Word of God. Just like the lesson we did last week, talking about husbands and wives, you can look at any translation and it is going to be, or should I say should be basically the same. Please if you will, turn to Luke 2:51. Jesus, who came from Heaven is our example. Amen? Let's look to see if He was obedient to His earthly dad Joseph who raised Him, and His mother Mary. Just a quick update on what is going on before we read this passage. When Jesus was 12 years old, Mary and Joseph brought Him to Jerusalem during the feast of Passover. Somehow, Mary and Joseph left without Jesus to head back home. They turned around, and when they came back to Jerusalem they found Him in the temple talking to (KJV says doctors. other translations say teachers. Some say Rabbis). The important thing to get out of this is that He was in the midst of important people. Let's read. Luke 2:47-52 KJV And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. (48) And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. (49) And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business? (50) And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them. (51) And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. (52) And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man. What I want us to get here is that from His childhood days He showed forth some of the rays of His glory in the divine wisdom which He manifested. Jesus came to do the will of the Father. It was the will of the Father that the Son be subject to His parents. Likewise, it is the will of the Father that children be subject to the parents in obedience. It pleases God when children do this. Friends, do we get this? Okay dads, your turn. You're in the hot seat now. Moms? Yes, listen up. Back to Colossians and we will pick up on verse 21. Colossians 3:21 KJV Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged. Colossians 3:21 AMP Fathers, do not provoke or irritate or fret your children [do not be hard on them or harass them], lest they become discouraged and sullen and morose and feel inferior and frustrated. [Do not break their spirit.] So, brother Jim, you are saying that I should let my child get away with anything he or she wants? Of course not. Leanna and I had disagreements on this topic. I was brought up where the children helped do chores. We kept our rooms clean and other household tasks. I didn't watch TV much, because we had a small farm and I also bought a horse that I showed and needed to be taken care of. I also started mowing lawns at a young age and took on many other jobs growing up. Friends, I guess what we all need to get an understanding of, is God's ways were intended to be passed down through the centuries from family to family. Just like we see in many chapters of the Old Testament, there were those Kings that did wrong in the eyes of God. Then there would be a king that found scripture and meditated on it and soon the kingdom was changed and that pleased God. We see that throughout the history of the US. There is the old phrase. "A family that prays together, stays together". I wonder how many families listening to my voice, or reading this at another time pray together as a family? I wonder how many families read the Word of God. That, my dear friends, is how you find the will of God for your life and for the stability of your family. Getting back to verse 21. We saw last week that the husband is in charge of the home. As fathers are in charge of the home, and children are to obey the parents, it is easy for fathers to misuse their position and exasperate their children. It means to excite, to provoke. Fathers are not to provoke or frustrate their children because a father can easily destroy the heart of his child by being too strong, too harsh, and withholding the proper balance of love and encouragement that children need. Church, understanding God's Word will help immensely on both of these verses we have looked at. To do that, you have to get in it. For those with younger children, read to them. Learn together. Pray together as a family. Amen? Colossians 3:22 KJV Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God. Colossians 3:22 AMP Servants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not only when their eyes are on you as pleasers of men, but in simplicity of purpose [with all your heart] because of your reverence for the Lord and as a sincere expression of your devotion to Him. This verse and the next one we will read, Apostle Paul kind of repeats himself as we will see. What does this verse say to you? I think we are being taught holiness. To me when I read this verse, Paul was talking to the slaves of the day to likewise obey their masters with sincere hearts. I think about slavery as an undesirable situation and I believe Paul's goal was not open rebellion, but harmony within society. Of course, eventually society would be changed from within as all people obeying Christ's example and teaching. Slavery back then was not like it was here in the United States 200 years ago. Slavery was often considered a vocation that people voluntarily entered into. Here in America, we are led to believe that there is no slavery today. This verse still we should keep as we work for our employers. Christians are to work properly with willing submission, obeying their bosses. They are to do their work with their eyes on Christ as if they were serving Jesus. They are not to misuse their time or the resources provided to them. I hope this is speaking to hundreds who rob their workplace by cheating of hours, stealing materials, lying and cheating. That isn't even getting into gossip, envy and causing strife. Colossians 3:23 KJV And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men. Paul is showing us that our eyes should always be on the Lord. If we believe that Jesus is in our hearts and are aware of all of our actions and what comes out of our mouths, and if we further believe that we have been redeemed from sinfulness by the loving sacrifice of Christ, then we should realize that we are set free from selfish desires and ungodly practices. Praise the Lord. This is why Paul is telling us to work for the Lord Jesus rather than men. What employer would not be delighted to have employees who work with honesty, integrity, and fervent effort? Amen someone? The natural outcome is that the employee would be recognized and blessed. Colossians 3:24-25 KJV Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. (25) But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons. Friends, consider this. If we are working for the Lord Jesus, even in our employment, our reward will be from the Lord as well as our blessings. Church, we have to always remember that God is a fair and impartial judge. He does not alter His judgment times of who a person is or what position he holds. Since He knows all things, those who do evil will be judged fairly. Amen? I think this is what people miss out on. God is a Just God. In closing, I do hope these studies are helping each of you. I hope that the Holy Spirit is showing you things that need to be improved in your walk with the Lord and that you realize that and let Him change you.
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