Colossians, Pt9: Name It and Claim It

October 27, 2019                       NOTES NOT EDITED

Colossians, Pt9:  Name It; Claim It

Col. 4:2-18

SIS: Every believer should seek a place of service and sacrifice in and through the local church.

Paul concludes his message to the colossians with two important sections.  First, he discusses MINISTRY ESSENTIALS.  Second, he gives a list of MINISTRY EXAMPLES.  Let’s dive in by reading what Paul had to say about seeking a place of sacrifice and service in and through the local church.   Read: Colossians 4:2-18.

Has anyone heard about “Essential Oils?”  This is one of the latest multi-level marketing plans designed to enhance the fragrance of your bank account:  and, as a side benefit, cure everything from “sad children” to “head-aches.”  Essential oils are the extract from plants—that is, the “essence” of the plant.  For some cures, you rub the right combination for on your temples to cure headaches.  Other applications require “steaming them to cloak the air in soothing mist.”  This can magically send restless children into deep slumber with sugar plumb fairies dancing in their dreams—or so I’ve heard. 

Here are some common applications of these “essential oils.”  Peppermint: used to boost energy and aid digestion. Lavender: used to relieve stress. Sandalwood: used to calm nerves and help with focus. Bergamot: used to reduce stress and improve skin conditions like eczema. Rose: used to improve mood and reduce anxiety. Chamomile: used to improve mood and relaxation. Ylang-Ylang: used to treat headaches. Tea Tree: used to fight infections and boost immunity. Jasmine: used to help with depression, childbirth, Jasmine: used to help with depression, childbirth, and libido. Lemon: used to aid digestion, mood, headaches, and more.

I really don’t know if “essential oils are essential to our health or not.”  I’m just playing with words at this point. My concern is to examine What Paul has to say about “Ministry Essentials.”  Something “essential,” according to the dictionary is, “absolutely necessary or extremely important.”  As Paul sharpens the tip of his pencil to outline what it means to “seek a place of service and sacrifice in, and through, the local church,” he gives three “Ministry Essentials”—Pray Effectively and Fervently; Preach Christ Freely, Truly, and Clearly; and Practice Life Management Diligently.

1. Pray Effectively and Fervently (v2)

I have come to believe that the first of any “essential” activity in this life, in church or out, is to Pray Effectively and Fervently.  Paul says in v2 of Colossians 4.  “Devote yourselves to prayer; stay alert in it with thanksgiving.”

I can’t think of an activity in life that is more essential and yet most neglected as prayer.  I’m not talking about the three-minute poems families recite before a meal.  Certainly, it is right and good to give thanks to God for the bounty we receive.  However, saying grace at a meal will hardly move the mountains that we so often face as tragic circumstances interrupt our lives with some degree of frequency.  Saying grace of a meal is not going save a soul struggling with addiction or playing in the Devil’s playground.  Saying grace over a meal, as well and good as that might be, will never break the demon-hold that the Devil has on a loved one’s soul.  For that, only prayer birthed out of deep desperation can do that.  Fervent prayer can never begin until we are at our wits end.  Only when we a truly crushed by the realization of our own depravity and need can we truly pray effectively and fervently.  Nothing in life can ever be “fixed” by any but “broken men.”  Paul moves from the Ministry Essential of Prayer to the Ministry Essential of

2.  Preaching Christ Freely, Truly, and Clearly (3-4)

³ At the same time, pray also for us that God may ❶open a door to us for the message, to speak the mystery ❷of the Messiah, for which I am in prison, ⁴ so that I may ❸reveal it as I am required to speak.

Prayer and preaching are fundamentally linked.  Preaching without prayer is powerless and prayer without preaching is mere pretext. First, Paul wanted to preach the gospel freely.  Paul often asked for prayer to “open doors for his preaching.” (cf Eph. 6:19-20; 2Thess. 3:1).  The only thing that keeps the doors open for gospel preaching is prayer.  Paul realized that many would seek to hinder his gospel efforts and restrict his freedom to preach. He was, in fact, in prison for preaching as he wrote this letter.  So, Paul was not expecting he would preach with out opposition, attack, and even threat of death.  He was asking that prayer be offered so that he would continue to preach the gospel freely, unfetterd from any “bonds of fear.”

Second Paul sought to preach “truly.”  Remember, there were many “false preachers” in Colossians, particularly those of a budding gnostic movement.  Being an effective communicator but communicating a false gospel is perhaps the worst possible combination.  There are many celebrity preachers who draw large crowds and suck in huge online listeners and all the time they are making their listeners “twice the child of hell that they are”  (Mt. 23:15).  Paul wanted not only to speak freely and effectively, but to speak truthfully. A good speaker with a false message is the greatest servant of hell making the rounds of celebrity today.

Third, Paul exhorts us to preach clearly.  I was taught early in my ministry to never use a $25 word when a nickel word would suffice. I have struggled all my ministry to preach to inspire people, not impress them with my oratorical skill.  I’d don’t know how many I have inspired, but those I’ve impressed with my oratorical skills is a very short list! A preaching professor once chided us as a class.  He said, “Some of you delight in expounding your message with great words and esoteric ideas, thinking your message is so deep nobody can see the bottom.  I dare say your messages are not deep, but simply muddy.” We don’t preach to impress others, but to rescue them.  It is ESSENTIAL we preach freely (boldly), truly, and clearly.

Prayer is a Ministry Essential.  Don’t leave home without it.  Preaching is a Ministry Essential.  Nobody gets home to heaven without it.  A third Ministry Essential is

3.  Practice Life Management Diligently (5-6).  Look at verses 5-6:

 ⁵Act wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time.  ⁶ Your speech should always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person.

a.  These verses talk about Managing Our DEPORTMENT.  Deportment is defined as, “the manner in which one conducts oneself in the presence of others.”  My Latin students would recognize the etymology of this word as “de, from” plus “porto, I carry.”  Hence, our deportment is how we “carry ourselves in public.”  Paul warns us to Manage Our Deportment in two ways.  One, we Manage our Deportment by❶ Watching our Walk.  Look again at verse 5, “ Act wisely toward outsiders.”  Many of you are too young to remember the Old Church Covenant that was glued to the inside cover of hymnals.  In part that covenant, or contract among the members, said:

What vows do we gladly make as stewards of that which God has entrusted to us . . . To walk circumspectly in the world, to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our deportment, I’ve always loved those words, “walk circumspectly.”  Again, the dictionary aids our understanding.  Circumspectly means, “carefully to considering all circumstances and possible consequences.” The most dire consequence of failing to “Watch Our Walk” is that we would bring disgrace upon our Lord and make our testimony to unbelievers useless.  

 ❷ Second, we must Watch Our Talk.  Verse 6 reminds us, ⁶Your speech should always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person.

The speech of a believer, even when one disagrees with others, should always be full of grace, and “seasoned with salt.”  What does “seasoning with salt” mean.  I read once that salt actually enhances the sweetness of food.  But more so, salt makes people thirsty.  When we Watch Our Talk, people want to hear more of what we have to say.

Somebody much wiser than I once pointed out that a non-believer has only one of two problems.  The first problem is a matter of information—the non-believer simply does not know a Christian.  The second problem is that a non-believer DOES know a Christian and that Christian has failed to Manage His or Her Deportment.  While the first problem is one of information, the second problem is one of “transformation.”  As we Practice Life Management, we must Manage our Deportment.

b.  We must also MANAGE OUR TIME.  Look at verse 5 again,

⁵Act wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time.  Paul said something similar in Ephesians 5:15-16,  The KJV says, “¹⁵ See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, ¹⁶ Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” 

One of the greatest gifts, second only to salvation perhaps, is the gift of time.  A very beloved pastor points out, “Time is your most precious gift because you only have a set amount of it. You can make more money, but you can't make more time.”(R.W.).

There are two primary Greek words for time.  Kronos refers to chronological time or the passing of seconds on a clock.  Paul uses here the word, Kairos, which refers to a critical or strategic moment or opportunity.  The crisis of time Paul refers to has to do with the saving of souls through the preaching of the gospel.  When we misuse the time we have been given here on earth, others miss the opportunity to hear the gospel and receive Jesus as the Lord of their lives.  There are three aspects of the time of our lives which Paul alludes to in this passage.

❶ One, we must redeem the time LOST in our lives. We have already lost much, too much of the time of our lives.  The lost time of our lives refers to the missed opportunities of yesterday.  We can never get these moments back. One of the most encouraging promises in the Bible is Joel 2:25 KJV, “And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten.

 One scholar described these “lost” times as the moments we wasted, “by procrastination, pleasure, laziness, disobedience, etc.” My two latest regrets are: 1) the 18 years I lost before I was saved; and 2) the many lost opportunities to pray for and preach to the lost of this world.  The only way to “redeem” this lost time is to decide today not to lose any more. Paul says in Ephesians we must “redeem, or take great care with our time” because, “the days are evil” (Eph. 5:16).  This means that the Devil is active 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.  His minions never sleep and each opportunity we squander, the Devil steals for his devilish plan. 

This brings us to a second issue in regard to Managing our Time:  ❷Redeeming the Time LOANED.  By time “loaned” I am referring to concentrating on the present, so that it does not become the lost time of yesterday.  Philosophers would call this an “existential” perspective; or, an intense concentration on “now.”  What can I do right now in this present moment to bring honor and glory to God?  We just read last week about what it means to use every moment for the glory of God.  Colossians 3:23 says, “ Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically,  as something done for the Lord and not for men.” That’s how we redeem the time LOANED to us today! We must take great care to redeem the time LOST, redeem the time LOANED, and

❸ Redeem the time LEFT. 

Psalm 90:12 (NLT) says, “Teach us to realize the brevity of life.” The Book of James gives a similar instruction, ¹⁴ You don’t even know what tomorrow will bring—what your life will be! For you are like smoke that appears for a little while, then vanishes (Jam. 4:14). The Apostle John also mentions the importance of considering the time we have left, We must do the works of Him who sent Me while it is day.  Night is coming when no one can work (Jn. 9:4).

Exactly what John has in mind, and whether it was prophetic message pointing to the Last Days when evil will overtake the world, or if it is a cryptic reference to the darkness of death, one thing is for sure—TIME IS RUNNING OUT FOR ALL OF US!  The great theologian, Dr. Seuss once exclaimed, “How did it get so late so soon?” 40 years ago I remember hearing old preachers—those decrepit old men in their late 60’s—say, “time flies by before you know, and then you are old.”  There comes that moment of crisis in life when a man realizes he has more years behind him than ahead of him.  We must redeem the Time LEFT.   

The beloved Saint of the Slums speaks of the necessity to redeem the time lost, redeem the time loaned, and redeem the time left.  Mother Teresa said, “Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.” 

We must Practice Life Management, managing our Deportment and our Time.  Paul starts the beginning of the end of his teaching to the Colossians on reminding them of the MINISTRY ESSENTIALS:  Praying Effectively and Fervently; Preaching Christ Freely, Truly, and Clearly; and Practicing Life Management Diligently.  Then, the venerable apostle gives 11 MODELS FOR MINISTRY.  Ministry is a “team sport.”  Everyone needs to seek a place of service and sacrifice in and through the church and claim as their own.  Paul mentions a few models of people who did just that. A quick survey of these Models demonstrates God can and does use anyone and everyone.

1.  In verse 7 Paul mentions Tychicus.  “⁷ Tychicus,  our dearly loved brother, faithful  servant, and fellow slave in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me. ⁸ I have sent him to you for this very purpose. Tychicus is an example of  “Availability.”  When a task came up, Tychicus was Mr. Availability.  Paul needed a trusted associate to deliver an important message, and standing right there by his side was Tychicus.  He was ready, able and willing.  He was a “go to” kind of guy.

2.  Verse 9 mentions Onesimus:  “a faithful and dearly loved brother, who is one of you.” Onesimus was a runaway slave mentioned in Paul’s letter besieging Philemon to accept him as a brother.  Onesimus is an example of “Overcomer.”  It takes a lot of grit and gut to be a follower of Christ.  How thankful we are for those stories of “Overcomers.”  Onesimus just didn’t quit.  He didn’t surrender to his circumstances, by grace he overcame them.

3.  Aristarchus, verse 10: an example of “LOYALTY.” This is the kind of church member that may not stand out, but always seems to be there when he or she is needed. Aristarchus is called, “my fellow prisoner.”  He was there through thick and thin, good and bad.

4.  Verse 10 also mentions, Mark (John Mark).  He is an example of “Second Chances.” Remember, Mark abandoned Paul on Paul’s first missionary journey (Acts 12:12, 25).  Paul wouldn’t take him on the Second Missionary Journey, so Mark went with his cousin, Barnabas. Touched by grace, Mark took advantage of his “second chance” eventually blessed by God to pen the Second Gospel.

5.  Barnabas was mentioned along with Mark.  Barnabas is best described by translating his name. It means, “Son of Encouragement.”  Every local church needs an abundance of Barnabas’s, or is it Barnabi?  In any case, Barnabas modeled encouragement.

6.  Justus (called Jesus):  an example of “Humility.”  He is mentioned along with Mark and Barnabas, but nothing else is known of him.  His name was rather common, but his service merited mention. Yet, he served in relative obscurity to all but the Lord. 

7.  Epaphras, mentioned in Chapter 1 is mentioned again in 4:12-13.
“Epaphras, who is one of you, a slave of Christ Jesus, greets you. He is always contending for you in his prayers, so that you can stand mature and fully assured in everything God wills.  ¹³ For I testify about him that he works hard for you.”  Epaphras was an “elder, the pastor of the Colossian church.”  Don’t confuse him with how we presently view a “Baptist Pastor.”  No mention is made of his ordination or graduation from seminary.  Two great attributes are highlighted in the life of a New Testament Elder.  One, he is a PRAYER WARRIOR.  Two, he is a “hard worker.”  Giving guidance to a local church requires both these qualities in abundance.  These are the top two qualities I seek for my life.

8.  Luke (v14), “dearly beloved physician”. He an example of a “Talented Specialist.”  Some folk in church have distinctive skills and training and can use their unique talents to spread the gospel in ways others could not, like teaching English in the Arab Emirates; or going as a doctor to treat poor people in China.  Every church needs talented specialists like plumbers, electricians and such who can volunteer their vocational skills for the good of the church’s mission.

9.  I will skip Demas for now and save the worst for last.  Nympha (v15) is the only woman on the list, but far from the only woman highlighted in the Holy Writ as servants in the Kingdom of God.  Our text says that Nympha had a “church in her house.”  The text does not suggest she taught or had any leadership.  Nympha is an example of “Hospitality.” 

10.  The list of Models for Ministry closes out with Archippus (v17).  He is the example of “Diligence.”  He was a careful, strategic leader who paid attention to the details.  In fact, Paul encouraged him to continue to “pay attention to the ministry you have received.” 

11.  Now, back to Demas is mentioned in verse 14 along with Luke.  I’ve left him for last, but would just a soon leave him out altogether.  He is a Model of What Not To Be As a Minister.  In 2Timothy 4:10 we are told Demas abandoned Paul, “because he loved this present world!”  He abandoned the mission of the gospel in favor of personal pleasure and gain.  I’m afraid so many in church members have “Claimed Demas as their personal, patron saint” abandoning the work of the gospel in favor of the worship of pleasure. (This probably bears repeating).

Well, there you have it my brothers and sisters, the conclusion of the great letter of Paul to the Colossians that highlights the Supremacy of Jesus Christ and how our lives should reflect a clear understanding of that supremacy and a complete and unyielding surrender to Him as the Lord of our lives.

We must put into place the MINISTRY ESSENTIALS and discover a MINISTRY MODEL to follow.  Now, let’s not just set aside what we have learned, but let us resolve to lift the Lord high and spread His Word afar.

Colossians, Pt8: Family Matters

October 20, 2019                       NOTES NOT EDITED
Colossians, Pt8:  Family Matters

Colossians 3:18-4:1

SIS God has a plan for your family that will bless your life, your church and your community.

One of the most beloved and successful T.V. series first aired 22 years ago. The series, Family Matters, revolves around the Winslow family, a middle-class African American family living in Chicago (Wiki). The Father, Carl Winslow, is a Chicago cop. The most famous actor from that series did not enter the show until halfway through the first season, but when he did, he became the mainstay, breakout star of show, which would run for nine seasons.

We all know this character as the bumbling, beloved and a bit annoying next-door neighbor, Steve Urkel. His goofy persona and high-pitched nasally voice literally stole the show. Here is a a clip for those that may not be familiar with the irksome Urkel and Family Matters.  Steve Urkel is always coming up with crazy, geeky ideas.  This time, he found the secret formula to win the Winslow girl next door.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sud1fak_65Q

This week we come to a point in the Book of Colossians where Paul takes up the topic of “Family Matters.” Nothing matters more in this life than family, and nothing provides a greater base for the spreading of the gospel of Jesus Christ than the family. The family really does matter.  As goes the family, so goes the church.  As goes the church, so goes the nation.  Let’s read about God’s plan and design for the family.   Colossians 3:18-4:1.

There are many ways to approach this text that describes God’s plan for the family.  As I read, studied and prayed over the text three significant themes emerged:  ROLES, REASONS, AND RESTRAINTS.  Let’s examine each one in order.

1.  ROLES  The text outlines how Wives, Husbands, Children and Slaves should interact in a Godly way.  On June 10, 1998 the Southern Baptist Convention (our partner in ministry) caused a great stir when we amended our guiding statement of faith to say, “Wives should graciously submit to their husbands.”  Of course, this is exactly what Colossians 3:18 says, so you wonder why it would create any stir at all, but the debate continues today, 21 years later.

The word, “submit,” was like rubbing salt into an open wound for those who lean toward a “modern feminist point of view” in regard to the role of women in society.  Who could have imagined that 21 years later we would not be debating so much whether a wife should submit to her husband, but whether a wife even had to be a “woman!”  Time sure brings change.

Let’s get some misconceptions about “submission” out of the way right at the start.  Submission has nothing to do with the relative value of men and women in the eyes of God.  Verse 25 even says, “there is no favoritism” with God.

The idea of “submission” has to do with “functionality” not “equality.”  All people are equal in the sight of God.  Submission does NOT mean “servitude.”  It means mutual respect for the different “roles” that God has chosen for men and women which will bring the maximum amount of blessing to the family.  Keep in mind that during this time of ancient history, in both Jewish and Roman culture, women were little more than property.  In Roman life, wives were often greatly abused, physically and emotionally.

The Bible transforms the role of women.  The word translated “submit” is placed in a special Greek construction, the middle voice, which means that this submission is completely voluntary.  The word in the ancient culture could refer to a “ranking” in the military, or what veterans know as, “the Chain of Command.”  A sergeant has a “higher rank” but that does not mean that he is “more important than” a private, but that he has a different role—a role that is mutually beneficial to the entire squad as a whole.  So, here is the “role” God established for wives: “Wives submit to your own husbands” (v18).  This voluntary submission, borne out of respect for both God and one’s husband, will bless the family.

There is a role for husbands as well.  It is a simple, yet profound, role:  “husbands love your wives” (v19).  That love is not some shallow sentimentality or romantic feeling.  In another similar passage Paul expands on this love, ²⁵ Husbands, love your wives,  just as Christ loved  the church and gave Himself  for her (Eph. 5:25).  Husbands are to love their wives so deeply and so profoundly they would “die to protect them.”  This kind of love leaves no room, no toleration whatsoever, for any kind of mistreatment of a wife by a husband.  We’ll deal with this a bit more in a moment.

Third, there is a role for children.  Verse 20 says, “Children, obey your parents in everything.”  The word, “everything,” means that obedience is “all inclusive.”  There is no room for permissiveness in raising children.  What may look like a spark of mischief one day, could become a devastating wildfire destroying both the child and family.  Obedience of children was such and important aspect of a godly family that the penalty for willful and continuous rebellion in Jewish culture was to “take the disobedient child outside the city gates and stone them to death”  (Deu. 21:18-21).  Proverbs also expresses how essential obedience is to the integrity of the family: Prv. 13:24, “Spare the rod and spoil the child.”

Finally, the Word talks about the essential role of a slave, or an employee, in our day.  This aspect of the Bible immediately causes concern from both those in the church and outside the church.  Why did God not condemn slavery? The word translated slave, can also mean, “servant,” or more like our word “employee.”  Whether this is what Paul has in mind or not, is open to interpretation.  A great deal of the problem we have with slavery in the Bible stems from having only one image of what “slavery” entails—the awful, wicked practice for which our nation fought a Civil War.  The Bible in no way condones such an ugly, dark practice.  In fact, it was primarily Christians such as William Wilberforce that brought slavery in the West to an end.  I don’t have time today to address such a complicated issue, but let me say that what Paul is dealing with here is more like our word, “employee.” The key issue in regard to this “role of a slave” is to be a godly example of unquestionable integrity “on the job.”  Paul admonishes the slave to “work wholeheartedly, even when the master was not watching”  (v22)

There is more to the slave issue than this, but as with all the various roles there is an element of restraint.  Every person in the family, and even society at large, has a place.  That place is not something demeaning like the caste system in India, but it is something functional and benevolent bringing order and blessing to the family unit.  What makes the roles different from how the same roles were abused in the ancient world is that each role is admonished in the context of a restraint.

2.  RESTRAINTS

In the relationship between “wives and husbands” verse 19 says, “Husbands . . . don’t be bitter.”  The word translated “bitter” by some translations is probably better translated, “harsh.”  “Don’t be bitter” as we understand bitterness in English could mean the wife did something wrong that should be overlooked—she didn’t “submit” enough perhaps.  This is not what the word is saying.  The word is saying that the wife is like a “subtle, delicate flower” and deserves to be treated with gentleness and great care.  I’ve seen many churches take the idea of submission, and without the element of restraint in this text, actually teach the abuse and subservience of wives.  That is why the Word places a restraint on the role of men.

There is also a restraint on the role of a man in regard to his children.  Verse 21 says, “Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so they won’t become discouraged.” Too many fathers are too quick to point their children to the “penalty of stoning” but fail to practice the principle of restraint by “putting too much on their children until it crushes their spirit as surely as stones crush the body.”  

Exasperating your children means that you engender resentment in their hearts. Resentment comes when a child does not easily and readily recognize that discipline is instruction, not just punishment.  To prevent exasperating your children you do not seek merely “conformity” to a set of rules—however good those rules might be—but you lead a child to change internally as a matter of character development.  It is easier to beat a child into submission, than to build them up in such a way that they voluntarily want to please both you, and the Lord.

Our text takes quite a bit of space to discuss the submission of slaves to their masters (relationship of employees to employers).  The restraint for the master or employer comes in verse 25, and is a dire warning, For the wrongdoer will be paid back for whatever wrong he has done, and there is no favoritism.

Now, with that warning, the text establishes the expectations God has for masters, or employers:  Chapter 4:1 says, “Masters, supply your slaves with what is right and fair, since you know that you too have a Master in heaven.”

The bottom-line in all these different “roles” and the submission that each requires is: “Everybody is going to stand before God and give an account of how they put into practice God’s design for their lives.” 

The Family Matters—it matters more than any institution or organization in the world.  As the family goes, so goes the church.  As the church goes, so goes the nation.  We all have a role to play in the family, as well as in society.  All our roles, whether in leadership or in following, have restraints of righteousness attached to them.  Nobody is ever given “free reign” to rule as a malevolent dictator in any relationship.  All roles are voluntary and all have restraints to protect against abuse.

But, if all one sees in this text is a matter of “roles” to be played, then I feel we have missed the most important issue this text unfolds.  That is the

3.  REASONS for our roles in God’s Plan for the Family.

Every regulation or prohibition in the Bible is designed to bring about blessing.  God is not some “Cosmic Killjoy” who wants to restrict any and every avenue that would lead to our enjoyment.  Just like my own parents had “restrictions and prohibitions” on playing in the street, it was not to restrict my enjoyment but to prolong my days.  Deu 6:1-3:

This is the command—the statutes and ordinances—. . . ³ Listen, Israel, and be careful to follow them, so that you may prosper and multiply greatly, because Yahweh, the God of your fathers, has promised you a land flowing with milk and honey.

Every prescription and prohibition in the Bible is given by a loving God to bless our lives.  This is also true in Family Matters.  God has established the “roles and restraints for a reason.”  That reason is broadly stated in Verse 23-24:

 Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men, ²⁴ knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord. You serve the Lord Christ.

I am basically a “rule follower.”  I don’t follower rules blindly, but as a rule, I see the benefits of following must rules.  Take yesterday for example.  A man and woman in a black Mercedes cut in front of me to get a great parking spot, in a crowded parking lot, in front of a popular restaurant.  The reason the spot was open is it was a spot with a “Ten Minute Limit.”  The man ignored the sign and about a half hour later, as Shari and I were leaving that same restaurant, he was still enjoying his meal with friends.  Yes, the thought of letting the air out of his tires did cross my mind—briefly!  Upon repenting for seeking vengeance, I continued on with my day.

Rules are generally good, and God’s rules are always good.  The text outlines three reason God’s design for Family Matters should be followed.

(1) One.  Faithfulness PLEASES Yahweh.  Verse 22a says, “Don’t work only while being watched, in order to please men, but work wholeheartedly.”  Our faithfulness in Family Matters is not to please men, but to please God.  Look at Verse 20, “Children,  obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.” Look back at vs. 23 again, Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men.  The simplest and best reason for following God’s decrees, in regard to Family Matters or any matter for that matter, is because faithfulness pleases Our Heavenly Father.

(2)  Two.  Disobedience is a FEARFUL thing.  Look at the second half of verse 22b, but work wholeheartedly, fearing the Lord.  I’d say that most people, even church-going people, have very little fear of the Lord.  People do as they please for the most part, never fearing they are displeasing the Lord.  But, there is going to be a reckoning for all of us one day.  Look at Verse 25, For the wrongdoer will be paid back for whatever wrong he has done, and there is no favoritism.  I wonder how many “wrong-doers—in the church or out it does not matter because God shows no favoritism when it comes to sin—how many have considered what the God warns us in Heb. 10:

³⁰ For we know the One who has said, Vengeance belongs to Me, I will repay, and again, The Lord will judge His people.  ³¹ It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God!

A good reason to follow God’s rules regarding roles in the family is because Disobedience is a FEARFUL thing.

(3)  Third.  Obedience is a FRUITFUL thing.  Look at verses 23-24, “²³ Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men, ²⁴ knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord. You serve the Lord Christ.

The nice thing about pleasing the Lord is that He puts us in His will.  Obedience leads to the reward of a great inheritance.  Part of that inheritance is heaven and whatever unimaginable bliss that entails; but, part of the reward of obedience is an exceedingly fruitful life.  Psalm 1 describes this “reward.”

¹ How happy is the man who does not follow the advice of the wicked or take the path of sinners or join a group of mockers!  ² Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night. ³ He is like a tree planted beside streams of water that bears its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

There are reasons why following God’s decrees, especially in regard to Family Matters, is a “good thing.”  Faithfulness Pleases God.  Disobedience is a Fearful thing.  Obedience is a Fruitful thing.  It’s all pretty simple actually. 

In regard to FAMILY MATTERS, we see the Bible establishes ROLES, provides RESTRAINTS, and gives REASONS for why God has outlined roles and restraints. These are “family matters” because the family, matters!

I think it is safe to say, "America has abandoned God's design for the family."  Just fifty years ago, when I was a young boy, I could count on one finger the number of my playmates who had divorced parents. I don't believe--in fact I know--all my playmates did not have perfect families; but they had "intact" families.  In just fifty short years, we have gone from "intact" families to same-sex marriages! Regardless of how one feels about the issue of same-sex marriage, we all must agree that same-sex marriage is quite a bit change in a small bite of time.

The last fifty years have seen all kinds of massive, paradigm-shifting changes. I grew up without a color T.V., and many of my friends had "no" T.V. when they were young. Now, I can watch T.V., get this, "on my watch!" (Well, I could if I know how to make it work). Many equate these massive changes with "progress." I don't see change and progress as synonymous, or even related in many cases. I don't think the family is better today because a man can marry a man, or we can watch T.V. twenty-four, seven.

Our nation is crumbling, regardless of what the Prosperity Preachers and politicians are pontificating about on T.V. Add up all the promises of all the politicians in a campaign cycle and it still amounts to little more than a bag of hot air--smelly hot air at that.

As the family goes, so goes the church. As the church goes, so goes the nation.  God has a plan for your family that will bless your life, your church and your community.  Let’s get back to Family Matters, because family matters more than any other activity or organization.