Christ like living (Essentials)
Supremacy of Christ: Book of Colossians • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 36:02
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Living out your faith
Living out your faith
May we live the kind of life that demonstrates our faith. A faith that shows the supremacy and the sufficiency of Christ Jesus.
Some basic elements of our Christian faith is our Christian living (Col3:1-11)
We are to set our minds on things above
2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.
We are to put aside, put away the old ways
8 But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices,
10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him—
Some basics of our Christian apparel (3:12-17)
We are to put on the new after having put off the old
12 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;
we are to let Christ rule our hearts
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.
And then let God’s word richly dwell in us
16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
Basics of Christian family relationships (Col3:18-4:1)
Our relationships build our character and help further the gospel
It develops obedience in the ordinary things
It is wives who respect husbands (v.18)
It is husbands loving their wives (v.19)
It is children honoring parents (v.20)
It is fathers loving children (v.21)
Then it is workers doing all things unto the Lord (v.23)
It is bosses being fair and reasonable (4:1)
All of this is to the glory of God who is our all in all!
Paul in these few short verses will address 3 short exhortations about Christ like living
Our prayer life
Our walk
Our speech
First let me give the passage in context
2 Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; 3 praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned;
4 that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak. 5 Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity.
6 Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.
I. Our prayer life
I. Our prayer life
To the Christian who is determined, committed to live a life that is different from the world has a prayer life that is faithful, watchful and is thankful
2 Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;
In NASB it says be devoted, in NKJ it says be vigilant , in both versions it says to continue.
So to the Christian who wants to have Christ like living they are to continue in prayer that is vigilant and is devoted (Rom12:12; 1The5:17)
12 rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer,
17 pray without ceasing;
Persevering, devoted, without ceasing, following the command of what Jesus said and taught (Lk18:1, 8) also example of David (Psm55:16-17) and if not enough then there is Daniel (Dan6:10)
1 Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart,
Pray and not lose heart, so in other words be consistent, be persistent
8 “I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”
Because one day Christ is coming back, will He find faith like that? Faith like David had in his prayers
16 As for me, I shall call upon God, And the Lord will save me. 17 Evening and morning and at noon, I will complain and murmur, And He will hear my voice.
He is a good God, a just God, a caring and compassionate God who can handle your complaints, can handle your murmuring, He longs to hear the prayers of His people.
10 Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows open toward Jerusalem); and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously.
Make prayer a part of your daily life like Daniel, regardless of what man says, do what God says and what Jesus exampled for us as did David and Daniel, but they were not alone there is Paul too.
9 For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
And someone we will expand on more next week
12 Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God.
Can we improve our Christ like living by improving our continued prayer life to be prayer that is faithful? For next is prayer that is watchful
Prayer that is watchful (v.2)
Jesus taught on that too (Mk13:32-33; Mt26:41)
32 “But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. 33 “Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come.
So we need to be alert, be watchful for we do not know when the Lord will return, but we do know there is an appointed time! So be ready, be watchful, be alert.
Apostles warned about it (Eph6:18; 1Pt4:7)
18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,
After understanding God’s armor to help you through the battles of this life, it is coupled with prayer that we need to be alert and will all perseverance not just for ourselves but for others too.
7 The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.
Notice some major items in this verse
End is near
So be of sound judgment
Be sober
Do it for the purpose of continued, faithful prayer that is watchful
We need to be prepared, we need to be alert, we need to be watchful for we know
Satan is ready and wants to tempt us to sin
Christ is going to return, He wants to find those who are looking for Him, and who are faithful.
Prayer that is thankful (v.2)
Always thankful (Col1:3, 2:7, 3:15, 17 and 4:2)
3 We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
7 having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.
17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
2 Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving;
Be thankful in light of (Rom1:21-22)
21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools,
Knew God, did not honor, did not give thanks and look at the results
they became futile, useless
They became foolish
Professing wisdom, but were fools
That is pretty scary isn’t it, so can we see why our prayers need to be continued, watchful and thankful? That leads me to the next essential in prayer.
Prayer that is purposeful
Pray for us (v.3); notice it is specific
3 praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned;
Paul asked for similar prayer other times (Rom15:30-32)
30 Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me, 31 that I may be rescued from those who are disobedient in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may prove acceptable to the saints;
32 so that I may come to you in joy by the will of God and find refreshing rest in your company.
Look at the prayers he asks for
Opportunity (Col3:3; 2The3:1)
1 Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord will spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it did also with you;
Wisdom (Col4:4)
4 that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak.
Boldness (Eph6:19-20)
19 and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
Can we pray for those who preach, those who teach, those who carry the message to others like this?
Essential to our Christ like life is prayer
that is continued, without ceasing
that is watchful
that is thankful
and that is purposeful
Remember we live in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation in which we need to be lights!
15 so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,
This leads us to next essential, so add to your prayer your walk!
II. Our Walk
II. Our Walk
Want to admit it or not, man watches us to see what we do, see how we react to see if we are hypocrites or not. We, as Christians, need to be concerned with our walk.
5 Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity.
It’s easy to be a Christian, to act like a christian when around a bunch of Christians, but we need to be a light in the darkness of this world to the non-Christians making the most of our time by how we walk, our conduct around non-Christians matters.
Walking in wisdom
Can impact, influence others for good (1Pt3:1-2)
God’s Word leads to our words, our words impact our actions; our actions will be seen by others and be a draw for Christ or a repellent against Christ. (Jn13:35, 17:20-21)
35 “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
May our walk in wisdom be a walk of love for one another that is a display of our being a disciple of Jesus Christ
20 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.
The words given by Jesus to the Apostles can be used, should be used so others may come to believe through their words who Jesus is, what Jesus did and what Jesus promises to those who believe.
Walk in wisdom knowing time is limited.
We need to make the most of the time we have (v.5; Eph5:15-17)
15 Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, 16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil.
17 So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
(expand on the above, briefly)
Time is short because life is short, you cannot impact anyone after you are dead. We cannot afford to waste time due to foolishness for we don’t know the number of days. some people we may come in contact with may have less time than we do and we need to love them and teach them so they can come to believe.
The way we walk couples with the way we talk, look at the reaction to Jesus speaking at times
22 And all were speaking well of Him, and wondering at the gracious words which were falling from His lips; and they were saying, “Is this not Joseph’s son?”
III. Our Speech
III. Our Speech
The words out of our mouth are important, may they always be filled with grace, seasoned with salt.
6 Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.
Power of the tongue
It impacts the entire body (Jam3:2)
2 For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.
It can be destructive (Jam3:6)
6 And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell.
It oftentimes is used for both good and evil (Jam3:9-12)
9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; 10 from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way.
11 Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh.
All the more reason why our speech needs to be seasoned with grace
Don’t let any corrupt word proceed out of your mouth
allow words that are edifying, and that impart grace to the hearers
May our speech be seasoned with salt and not be salty speech,
May it bring flavor to peoples lives
May it bring words of preservation to peoples lives
When we watch our speech, in all circumstances, then we should be prepared to any anyone, each one about the hope that is in us (1Pt3:15)
15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;
Our speech should not be quarrelsome (2Tim2:23-26)
23 But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels. 24 The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged,
25 with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.
Now the question arises, are we as careful with our speech as we want others to be? Do we claim to be disciples of Jesus Christ that looks like and sounds more like the world than of Jesus?
Essentials of Christ like living, while not complete, it gives us somethings to look at and to prayerful consider:
Our prayerlife
Our walk
Our talk.
First and foremost is our decision (lead to invitation)
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