Sermon Tone Analysis

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)

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)

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.

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

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.

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.