Getting On With Others! (2020)

Reading: Colossians chapter 3 verses 18 to chapter 4 verses 1:

SERMON OUTLINE:

(1). Husbands and Wives: Love and Submission (3:18-19):

(2). Parents and Children: Encouragement and Obedience (3:20-21):

(3). Masters and Servants: Honesty & Devotion (3:22 to 4:1):

SERMON BODY:

Ill:

It was Winston Churchill who spoke those immortal words:

"We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds,

We shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills..."

• One wit heard that quote and said,

• "It sounds exactly like our family holidays!"

• Sometimes it is not easy getting on with people.

• Quote: Mark Twain (American author and humourist)

• “The more I learn about people, the more I like my dog.”

• TRANSITION:

• This passage deals with people and how to get on with them:

The apostle Paul talks about three of the most important relationships we have in life;

• Wives & husbands.

• Parents & children.

• Masters & slaves (Employers & employees)

• So those of you who are retired, widowed and have no children;

• You can all go home!

• Because these verses are not talking to you!

• Now, don’t take me seriously!

• Because the Word of God always has something to say;

• Always we can be encouraged or spoken too, from it!

• Before we start this section of the letter;

• I want to mention three things about relationships:

FIRST: RELATIONSHIPS ARE TO BE ROUTINE.

• Our faith must out work itself in the everyday, ordinary, mundane matters of daily living.

• And there’s nothing more routine, mundane, humdrum than family life and work life.

• And if our faith doesn’t out work itself there in family life and work life.

• Then our faith doesn’t work!

• We need to look at what we believe and why!

Ill:

• Police often get called out to domestic quarrels and incidents.

• I heard about one last week.

• A police officer calls the station from his squad car.

• “Sarge”, he said: “I have an interesting case here;

• A woman shot her husband for stepping on the floor she just mopped.”

• The sergeant replied; “Have you arrested her?”

• The officer replied; “No, not yet. The floor’s still wet.”

• TRANSITION: Well not all relationships end up that bad!

• But our faith must work in the everyday affairs of family life and work life.

• If our faith doesn’t out work itself there, then it doesn’t work!

• Belief must affect behaviour; creed must affect conduct.

SECOND: RELATIONSHIPS HAVE DIFFERENT ROLES.

• Let me emphasize that we are talking about roles not rulers.

• Everyone in these verses has a defined role:

• Husbands and wives, Parents and children, employers and employees.

• But please remember that everyone is of equal rank.

• The apostle Paul is NOT saying, “Some people are more important than others”

Ill:

• Look back to earlier in the chapter (verse 11):

• N.I.V.:

“Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.”

N.L.T.:

“In this new life one’s nationality or race or education or social position is unimportant; such things mean nothing. Whether a person has Christ is what matters, and he is equally available to all.”

• The apostle Paul emphasises in these verses that we are all equal in God’s eyes.

• Equality is not the issue in these verses, the issue is one of order.

• Note: Order not importance! i.e. Driving on the roads and in the world of sport.

• God is a God of order!

• And life will always work best when we follow His rules for us.

THIRD: RELATIONSHIPS ARE TO BE RECIPROCAL (THAT IS MUTUALY SHARFED).

Ill:

• A boy had done something very wrong and very bad;

• The mother decided he needed to be disciplined the old-fashioned way.

• She placed the boy over her knee, picked up a slipper;

• The slipper then sailed through the air and made connect with the child’s backside.

• The boy looked up and asked his mother; “Why are you hitting me?”

• The mother replied; “I am hitting you because I love you.”

• The son then said: “I wish I was old enough to return this type of love.”

• TRANSITION: Well the apostle Paul reminds us in these verses;

• That we are all old enough to return the qualities mentioned!

• Wives & husbands, parents & children, masters & slaves (employers & employees)

• Need to relate to each other positively,

• If their relationship is going to work well!

Note:

• What the apostle Paul was writing in the first century, this was radical stuff.