Serving the Lord Christ
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
The book of Colossians is all about genuine spiritual maturity. Genuine spiritual maturity is only possible because of a relationship with Christ, you cannot become mature without a growing walk in Christ, and you do not need anything other than Christ in order to grow spiritually. For this reason Paul began the conversation of genuine spiritual growth with a command to walk in Christ.
Colossians 2:6–7 KJV 19006 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: 7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
In Col 3.1-17 Paul gave these believers the blue print for how one actually does that- in other words, how does one walk in Christ?
You walk in Christ, you grow unto spiritual maturity in your relationship with Christ by:
Seeking the things that are above (that is making Christ the treasure of your heart)
Setting you mind on things that are above (delighting your thinking in Christ)
Putting to death that which is earthly in you (this process of mortification must go all the way deep down to the idolatrous loves of our hearts)
Being renewed by knowledge back into the image of your creator
Putting on the very character of Christ
Paying special attention to four aspects of your walk with Christ that are of paramount importance Putting on love, being ruled by peace, letting the Word of Christ live in you richly, and doing everything in the name of the Lord Jesus- and in everything having an attitude of thanksgiving.
This is what Paul means when talks about walking in Christ, and it is these kinds of believers that will become spiritually mature. And this is Paul’s goal:
Colossians 1:28 KJV 190028 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
As Paul continues his discussion of spiritually mature believers in Colossians 3 He shifts his focus from a blue print for how to walk in Christ, to what spiritually mature believers will look like once they have been transformed by a meaningful walk in Christ.
In other words, if you follow the pattern of Ch 3.1-17 after a while of doing that- your relationship with Christ will begin to change every aspect of your life.
In Col 3.18-21 Paul focuses on how walking in Christ transforms all social relationships you have.
Walking IN CHRIST will transform the wife to husband relationship- loving submissive wives
Walking IN CHRIST will transform the husband to wife relationship- loving sacrificial husbands
Walking IN CHRIST will transform the children to parents relationship- obedient, worshipful children
Walking IN CHRIST will transform the father to children relationship- spiritual encouraging fathers
Now in Col 3.22-4.1 Paul focuses on how walking in Christ transforms all service relationship you have.
How will walking in Christ transform relationships in your life where God has called you to serve someone?
I. The motivation for your service will be transformed as you walk IN CHRIST (3:22)
I. The motivation for your service will be transformed as you walk IN CHRIST (3:22)
As you walk in Christ, and you grow in your relationship into a mature believer, every service opportunity that God allows into your life will change- and it will change it terms of what motivates you to serve.
A. Our motivation must be transformed from merely pleasing people (v. 22a)
A. Our motivation must be transformed from merely pleasing people (v. 22a)
22 Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:
Notice first of all whom Paul is addressing. Paul addresses “Servants” in KJV, better “Slaves”
The household of Paul’s day included a much larger group of people than we typically find in today’s modern household. There were not just parents and children, but older children (and sometimes their spouses) as well as domestic slaves.
When Paul addresses “Servants” or “Slaves” it seems clear that it is this kind of slave that he has in view. This makes direct application to any of us in this room rather difficult- and what I mean by that is- the last time I checked none of us are slaves. None of us are owned by another individual, none of us are under the ultimate control of another (although men, some of you may have referred to you significant other as a slave-driver at one time or another). We must take into consideration the differences that present themselves between a slave master relationship and the kind of relationships that we have today. That being said, there are some basic principles that Christians can apply to their lives should God call upon them to “serve” someone else.
It is important to also note that Paul never even hints that he endorses the institution of slavery in any way. What Paul does is to inform slaves and masters how they are to conduct themselves within the institution, but it is misreading the text to imply that Paul approved of the institution itself. Actually, as we study this verse I believe Paul’s view of slavery becomes quite clear.
It is also significant to realize how much attention Paul gives to slaves. In comparison to the times he gives husbands or wives or children or fathers- he only devotes one verse to each of these relationships. Paul spend 5 verses discussing the slave master relationship. Why?
First of all this implies that there are slaves who are a part of the local church congregation in Colossae, and that they are believers walking in Christ who need to respond in such a way to their masters as is befitting a mature believer in Christ.
Second, Paul is most likely addressing the delicate situation of Onesimus, who is accompanying the letter carrier.
8 Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that he might know your estate, and comfort your hearts;
9 With Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They shall make known unto you all things which are done here.
Onesimus is a runaway slave, that Paul is sending back to his master. So, it must have been important for Paul to send specific instructions to both slaves and master as to how mature believers should conduct themselves.
As part of that instruction Paul commands these slaves to:
“Obey in all things your masters”
The command to obey is the same command he gave to the children in v. 20 and just as Paul did for the children he commands the slaves to obey in all things.
But Paul is not just going along with the status quo of slavery in Colossae. There are many important distinctions that Paul makes to this relationship.
Distinction #1- Masters according to the flesh
Paul tells the slaves to obey in all things their master according to the flesh. Sometimes this word “flesh” is used in a general sense and it takes on the idea of the human realm- or that which is earthly. So the slaves are to obey in all things their masters, but realize that their masters are simply their masters on earth. Paul is deliberately using a play on words here that is lost in the English translation.
The word that Paul uses for masters is the Greek word κύριος. The term means master or Lord. It is the same term that Paul uses at the end of v. 22- not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing “God” (Textual variant)- UBS text has fearing “the Lord” using the same Greek word κύριος
This play on words is repeated in 4.1
1 Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven.
Masters (κύριος) give unto your servants.... knowing that you have a Master (κύριος) in heaven.
So Paul says to these slaves obey in all things your masters, but realize that they are only you masters, your κύριος, on earth- you have another Master to whom you ultimately serve.
Distinction #2- Not with eyeservice
This phrase comes from a single Greek compound word that is made up of the words for “eye” (ophthalmos) and “service” (doulia). It occurs only here and in the parallel text in Ephesians (6:6) in biblical Greek.
The Pillar New Testament Commentary: Colossians and Philemon 4. The Lordship of Christ in Earthly Relationships (3:18–4:1)
It has the sense “service that has to do with the eye,” and connotes the attitude of the servant who works hard only when the master’s eye is on him or her.
service that is performed only to make an impression in the owner’s presence
Illustration: Have you ever been part of the gag where someone has their back turned to you and while their back is turned to you, you make some kind of a funny face. Usually you make the face so that other people can see you, but not the person who’s back is to you. What happens? Usually the audience ends up laughing, and the unsuspecting person with their back turned spins around to try and figure out what is so funny. Now what do you do the moment they turn around? You act as if everything in the world is right and normal and ordinary. And as soon as they turn their back what happens? You go back to making a ridiculous face. That is eyeservice.
Translation: Slaves, obey in all things those who are your masters on earth, and do not obey only when you are under their eye.
Why not? Because a mature believer, one who is walking IN CHRIST, is one that does not simply serve a master on this earth, but one who ultimately serves a Heavenly Master and Lord and ultimately the motivation for your obedience is to please Him. You do not serve to please the eyes of your earthly masters, you serve to please the eyes of your heavenly Master.
Distinction #3- Not as menpleasers
Meaning: The Greek behind this clause is an adverbial clause made up of “as” (hōs) and another compound word, composed of the word for “person” (anthrōpos) plus the word for “pleasing” (areskos): hence, literally, “as people-pleasers” (ESV). One who tries to make an impression on others, fawner. This word conveys the sense of an obedience that is superficial and hypocritical, concerned with appearances rather than reality.
(This word, like the former one, occurs only here and in the Ephesians parallel text [6:6] in the New Testament).
Illustration: have you ever heard someone, or maybe you are guilty of this yourself, when they see someone else’s baby exclaim, “Oh, what a beautiful baby.” The only problem is that this particular child has a face that only a mother could love. Do you know what I am talking about? You know that person in the back of their mind is thinking, “this child looks like Quasi Motto” Yet outwardly they exclaim about how adorable the child looks. That is a people-pleaser. They are a fawner only trying to make an impression on another person.
Paul says, Slaves, obey in all things those who are your masters on earth, and do not obey only when you are under their eye, as those who merely seek to please people.
Why? Because mature believers who are walking in Christ does not serve others simply when they are watching and not simply to please people. Someone who is walking in Christ will no longer be motivated to serve others simply to please people. Their motivation will be transformed IN CHRIST!
B. The fear of the Lord must become our true motivation (v. 22b)
B. The fear of the Lord must become our true motivation (v. 22b)
22 Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:
In the second part of v. 22 Paul gives the positive side of the obedience to the slaves. Here is how you obey… You obey first of all in:
Singleness of heart- simplicity, sincerity, uprightness, frankness, not with an outward show that conceals improper motivation. Serve with a motivation that is single-hearted!
Jesus said,
22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
The Pillar New Testament Commentary: Colossians and Philemon 4. The Lordship of Christ in Earthly Relationships (3:18–4:1)
The “single” eye has a concentrated focus that leads a person consistently in the same direction. So, here, “singleness of heart” (the KJV rendering) refers to a focused and unvarying concentration of the will that produces consistent conduct.
We could translate this word as “sincerity of the heart.”
Slaves, obey in all things those who are your masters on earth, and do not obey only when you are under their eye, as those who merely seek to please people, but obey with a sincerity of the heart,
Illustration: Sometimes I will ask one of my kids to set the table, and then I will leave the room only to come back and find that setting the table consisted of placing 4 plates and one fork spread haphazardly on the table. I then have to stand over them, keeping my eye on them, often time painstakingly commanding them to do every little thing before the table gets set correctly. And then there are times, usually when my kids want something, when I don’t even have to ask. They take it upon themselves to set the table and they do it perfectly. Sometimes, they just want to surprise mom and dad. They not only set the table, they fold the napkins, and straighten the chairs, and do everything they can to make it just right. They have a single hearted desire to obey. All of their will is concentrated on fulfilling their responsibilities. They obey with a sincere heart. That is the way Paul commanded these believers to serve their masters.
The second positive aspect of obedience that Paul gives is:
Fearing God: or Fearing the Lord. Most understand this participle clause to indicate the manner in which slaves are to obey- they obey by fearing the Lord. But this could also be understood as a causal phrase, giving the reason why slaves should obey their master with sincerity of heart rather than superficially or hypocritically- “because of your reverent fear of the Lord.”
Fearing the Lord is the idea of an appropriate sense of awe in the presence of God with submission to His will.
Slaves, obey in all things those who are your masters on earth, and do not obey only when you are under their eye, as those who merely seek to please people, but obey with a sincerity of the heart, because of your reverent fear of the Lord.
31 Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.
1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
This is what it means for a mature believer to be transformed IN CHRIST. They no longer serve other people, even in things a mundane as a job, they no longer do that superficially or hypocritically- instead they serve in single hearted sincerity and they do that because they fear the Lord- their ultimate Master.
Sometimes I ask people how is your job going. And they answer something like this, “Ehh, it’s a job, it’s work, it’s nothing other than a task that I have to do because it is my lot in life.” Should that really be the motivation of a believer? Should we view even something as “mundane” as our jobs as unimportant, uninteresting, or unrewarding? How do you think these slaves would have viewed their “job”? Yet Paul tells them, obey in all things those who are your masters on earth, and do not obey only when you are under their eye, as those who merely seek to please people, but obey with a sincerity of the heart, because of your reverent fear of the Lord.
Paul just finished saying,
17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
Does that not include the factory job? Or the job of being a mother? Or the job of waiting tables? Or whatever job God, in His sovereignty has allowed you to have? That is part of what it means to fear the Lord. Yes it is a reverential awe in the presence of God, but it is also a complete submission to His will. And if the will of God is for you to serve in the job he has given you, then make sure you are doing so out of the right motivation.
What is your motivation for serving other people?
Do you serve, do you work properly only when someone has their eye on you?
Do you serve or work only to please other people?
Do you have a single hearted sincerity in the way that you work?
Do you work that way because you fear God?
Your motivation can only be transformed as you walk IN CHRIST. As you learn to do everything in the name of the Lord, then you will have a proper motivation even for doing something as mundane as serving or working.
II. The quality of your service will be transformed as you walk IN CHRIST (3:23-25)
II. The quality of your service will be transformed as you walk IN CHRIST (3:23-25)
As you walk in Christ and grow in maturity not only will your motivation for why you serve change, but the quality of how you serve will change as well.
A. The quality of your service be transformed when you work heartily for the Lord (v. 23)
A. The quality of your service be transformed when you work heartily for the Lord (v. 23)
23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
Paul commands these slaves that whatever they do, they must do it (ἐργάζομαι) they must do their work heartily (lit. from their souls). The idea is work with all of your heart, with all of your life force behind it. Realize that you work not merely for men, but you work as for the Lord! Realize that your Master has sovereignly put you in your position of work, and you must realize that, even if you were a slave of a household, your service would not be for men alone, but it would be for God. So expend your very life force, work heartily, do it with all your heart, but do it for the Lord. Do we really work like that? Do we perform acts of service for others as we would for the Lord? Does the quality of our work show that we work heartily for the Lord, or does the quality of our work show that we work simply for mankind and we do so half-heartily?
Illustration: Last semester in my seminary class I had to write a blog post on a specific topic. I started out great. I looked at several sides of the argument and (at least I thought) did a good job in the post. Then I looked at the clock and it was getting late and I really didn’t feel like going on and on. Besides I had already hit the required length of the post, so I basically wrote something like, aannnnd for the rest of the argument see the class notes and I copied and pasted the notes into the blog. (Dr. Hudson was teaching this class by the way) Needless to say I was called out on the ending to my post (as I should have been). Half of the post was done heartily, or with all my heart, and the other half was done half-heartily (actually that is being too generous). You get the point. College students you would never do that right? (Maybe for Gen Physc its OK, but that is where we have to draw the line)
How about you? What is the quality of your service or your work? Do you do it heartily as unto the Lord? Or half-heartily for men?
B. The quality of your service will be transformed when you realize to Whom you serve (v. 24-25)
B. The quality of your service will be transformed when you realize to Whom you serve (v. 24-25)
24 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.
At the end of v. 24 Paul states, you serve the Lord Christ. The verb serve should be understood as an imperative a command. You must serve the Lord Christ. The idea of serve carries the weight of being a slave. You are a slave of the Lord Christ! Realize to whom you serve. You do not simply serve earthly master, you serve a heavenly Master. Here the title of the Lord is significant. You serve the Lord (Master) Christ (Messiah). It has been a while but sometimes we forget the high lofty view of Christ that Paul has set forth in Colossians. To whom do we serve? We serve the Lord Christ!
15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
This is the One that we serve. We serve the Lord Christ. Does the quality of your work reflect that?
Illustration: When I used to work at FedEx we would have to spend a lot of our time cleaning the store. Normally we would clean in such a way that would just get us by. However, I can remember a day when we had one of the top corporate guys coming into our district to do personal store visits. Let me tell you we had to clean every inch of that store until it was squeaky clean. Why? The quality of our work went up because of who was coming to our store.
Folks, we serve the Lord Christ, how should that effect the quality of our service?
In the beginning of v. 24 Paul states,
“Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance:”
You serve the Lord Christ, realize that if you serve Him whole heartily, then from the One by whom all things consist, and from the One in Whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells, from the One that in Him, and by Him, and through Him all things were created- He will reward you with an inheritance. Inheritance language brings our mind to the coming Kingdom of God. One day, even slaves in a household, who work heartily for the Lord will be rewarded for their service.
The flip side of that is found in v. 25
But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.
Here Paul does not want these household slaves to come to a wrong understanding that just because they are in Christ they can treat lightly their service to their human masters. God will bring judgement on them if they do wrong (not wrath, but judgment).
How is the quality of your service? Is your work transformed because you are walking IN CHRIST? Do you work heartily for the Lord and not for men? Do you realize that you serve the Lord Christ? Does that have any impact on the quality of your service?
III. The attitude of your service will be transformed as you walk IN CHRIST (4:1)
III. The attitude of your service will be transformed as you walk IN CHRIST (4:1)
Here Paul changes from addressing the slaves to addressing the human masters. He wants them to understand that as they walk in Christ the attitude of the heart will change as they deal with those who are under them.
1 Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven.
A. Our attitude in the way we treat people will be transformed (4:1a)
A. Our attitude in the way we treat people will be transformed (4:1a)
Here Paul commands human master to treat their slaves with justice and equality or fairness. Treat the people that God has allowed to be under you justly and fairly. It is not hard to imagine that many slave owners abused their positions of authority in the way they treated people. But Christian slave owners who were walking in Christ and growing in maturity would realize that
11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
So they were to treat the people that God has placed under them with justice and equity.
B. Our attitude in the way we view our authority will be transformed (4:1b)
B. Our attitude in the way we view our authority will be transformed (4:1b)
Then he gives them a reason- treat your slaves justly and fairly - knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.
Again here Paul is using a play on words- Masters (lords) remember that you too have a Master (Lord) in heaven. Slave owners might be tempted to use their position in an abusive fashion, but Christian master must remember that they are answerable to a higher master- the Lord Jesus. They are, in fact, slaves themselves.
22 For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord’s freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ’s servant.
The Pillar New Testament Commentary: Colossians and Philemon 4. The Lordship of Christ in Earthly Relationships (3:18–4:1)
The “Master” in heaven (cf. 3:1) will show no “favoritism” (3:25) when he judges, meting out to slaves and their owners with scrupulous impartiality just what their conduct merits on the day of judgment.
What is your attitude in your service, especially those of you in positions of authority? Do you treat others justly and fairly? Or do you show partiality in your authority? Remember you yourself are a slave to the your heavenly Master and He will judge without respect of persons.
How will walking in Christ transform relationships in your life where God has called you to serve someone?
The motivation for your service will be transformed as you walk IN CHRIST
The quality of your service will be transformed as you walk IN CHRIST
The attitude of your service will be transformed as you walk IN CHRIST
How do the relationships of service need to be transformed in your life as you walk IN CHRIST?