A CHRISTIAN LIFE
COL. 3:12-25
I hope that everyone here this morning had a wonderful Christmas and a happy New Year. I am sure that we all got a lot of presents and we probably made quite a few New Years resolutions. This year as I was thinking about the direction I wanted my life to go I thought about all the past New Year resolutions that were not kept and the few that I actually tried to keep and the less that I managed to keep and I wondered at how mundane and worldly they were. Lose weight, nothing wrong there, be a better person, that great, get a better job, sounds good to me and so on. But look at them look at your New Years resolutions of the past. What was the reason why you made them? They were all done for our benefit. This year I made a new resolution. I dedicated my life to God COMPLETELY and placed it in His hands and anything that needed to be changed or worked on God will do it. I am going to strive to live everyday my life as if it was the last day of my life and not look to future of the here and now but to the eternal life that I have with God. I am not going to let the things of this world capture me. I am going to let the things of God live and dwell in me. My job, the bills, doctor’s appt. or whatever else the world throws at me will not become the single most important thing in my life. No not even my family will come before my commitment to God.
Robert Chapman of Barnstaple, a great friend of the late George Muller of Bristol, was once asked, “Would you not advise young Christians to do something for the Lord?” “No,” was the reply, “I should advise them to do everything for the Lord.” Jesus did everything for us and we are to do everything for Him out of love. Too many of us have gotten hooked on duty. It is our duty to come to church on Sunday morning. It is not your duty it should be your need to come and fellowship with your brothers and sisters. To be feed with our Father’s word. There was this dog who boasted of his ability as a runner. Then one day a rabbit that he was chasing got away. This brought a lot of ridicule from the other dogs because of his previous boasting. His explanation: “You must remember that the rabbit was running for his life, while I was only running for my dinner.” How many to day are only running for their dinner. We should be running for our life.
There is a lot more to being a child of God than just coming to church on Sunday morning. Now I want you to capture this God describes the life of one of His children in Col. 3:12-25 turn with me we read God’s word in His house this morning.
Brother and sisters today God is coming to us with this thought. Are we placing God first in our life? Do I seek to please Him before everything else in my life? Does my Character show that I put God first? Now I am not here to judge anyone or to admonish anyone. No instead I am giving you the tools that we all need to examine our life and discover if we are truly living for God or not. I just ask that today you honestly examine your life. That you put aside your pride and submit to God’s word and that we all examine our life not through our eyes but through the eyes of God. I pray for the next 45 minutes or so that you put aside your wants and needs and take an honest look at your life. Life is far too short that we as Christians live it in any other way besides the way that God meant for us to live.
Our testimony is to important in this dark world to live the life that God entrusted us with in any way that we want too. Someone is watching us and our life is a witness to them. Are you responsible for some one not seeing a Christian example and missing out of the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
So what is the character of a Christian? A Christian is compassionate and loving. We love people not because of who they are but because Jesus loves us and His love is in us. We love people and we don’t worry about their skin color, sex, social status, or any other little prejudice that Satan has come with in the past or in the future. We love simple because Jesus loves them.
Secondly a Christian is humble. What does this mean? Well we are not prideful. We are gentle and patient turning the other check. We do not look down on other in fact we mourn for those who are lost and because of this love we need to spread the gospel to them. We can not deny witnessing to someone because they are not like us.
We accept each other no matter what our differences. A brother or sister in Christ is just that a brother or a sister and it does not matter what they look like. Also we are forgiving of one another. Just as Christ forgave us of our littlest sin to our worst sin so should we forgive each other.
And if we as Christians are all living these characteristics then Jesus’ love will shine through each one of us and we will be in perfect unity. Then will the peace of Christ be in us and control us and we will gladly share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the world. Now lets look at our selves can we say that we are portraying the characteristics of a Christian. I am here to say that I at times fail. But this year I am going to develop these characteristics and let them control my life. What about you Brother and sister what about you? Are we going to strive to do everything in Jesus’ name this year are is it going to be the same oh same oh.
Okay Preacher but what about my job? How am I suppose to serve God while I am at work? As Christians we are to perform our jobs to the best of our abilities not because we are looking for advancement and recognition but to please God. Look at verses 22-25. We are to not worry about the time but keep our eyes on Christ. He is the one whom you are serving in work. Paul had reduced the Christian life to its lowest common denominator. He had one single goal: He had his heart, his mind, his eyes, and his total affection fixed upon Jesus Christ. The idea here is to fear Jesus not the boss. As Christians we are not to be there to just draw a paycheck but we are to do our job with the best of our ability because by doing so we are honoring God and serving Him.
Verse 23 tells us that what ever we do, do it for Him. We are to do this with all our soul. What ever we do should be done to the Lord, not to men. We are not just men pleasers.
Now we have talked about the character and work ethic of a Christian but what about a Christian family what should it look like? Does God address this? Yes he does? God clearly explain how a family should look. The roles each member has in a Christian family. Let us examine very quickly this morning a biblical Christian family.
Look back in verses 18-19 what does God say here. Sisters God calls for you to be submissive to your husbands. Now before you get out the axes listen for just a minute. This does not mean that you are to walk around with your head bowed and be a slave to your husband. What this does mean is that God has placed your husband at the head of the family just as Jesus is the head of the church. Just as the head of your body leads your body so should the husband lead his family in all things spiritually and physically? Ladies you are created to be a helpmate to your husband. You are the missing piece of your husband. You are his strength and support. Your actions reflects on your husband and God calls on you to bring no disgrace onto your husband because of you actions. Ladies you submit to your husband because you love Jesus and you love your husband. As you serve your husband you are serving Jesus. This does not mean that you are less than you husband if you allow him to lead. No far from it. God has made you husband responsible for his family and it is your responsibility to submit to this leadership.
Ladies God created Eve out of a rib from the side of Adam. He did not take a bone from Adam’s head so woman would be above men nor did He take a bone from foot so woman would be beneath man. No instead He took a bone from Adam’s side so that woman would walk beside man, equal to Him, willingly submitting to his leadership because God ordained it. Notice that God took a rib from Adam. The rib protects the body’s most vital organs. They protect the heart which is the life of the body. Ladies you protect your husband’s character and spiritual development by not nagging about it or ignoring it but by being a vital part of it. God said lets make a helpmate for man are you the helpmate that God created for your husband?
Husbands God calls us to love our wives as we love ourselves. IF you love your wife your wife will be willing to submit. The wife is not to be the one to take the lead in your family. God has made you responsible the spiritual development in your family. It is your responsibility alone to insure that your family loves God. Men we are held accountable for the spiritual growth or our wife and children. Men are we husbands that God has ordained for our families?
Children how should you be? God calls for you to obey your parents in things. In fact you are to honor your parents all your life. As children you are to obey your parents but once you become adults and move away from their house you are to honor them. Treasure them and care for them in their old age as they cared for you when you were a child. Father’s don’t become a stumbling block for your children’s spiritual growth. It is your responsibility to train and teach your children about God. You are their example of how a Christian should live. Moms you are not off the hook either. You share in the responsibility of the spiritual development of your children as the helpmate of your husband. You are an example of the Christian woman. Your service to God through your submission to you husband and God either strengthens or shatters a child’s spiritual growth.
So have you been honest with yourself today? Have you examined you life through God’s eyes? Do you see God’s model of a Christian? Is there something that needs improvement? If there is don’t worry you can improve it. It is never too late. Today you can turn it around. All you have to do is rededicate make a permanent resolution to live your life for Christ and for no other. All you have to do is ask forgiveness and God will forgive you. All you have to do is study His word and fellowship with His children when we are gathered. We have church on Sunday night and wed. nights and we would love to see you come. God is moving here today He is walking among us. His spirit is tugging at someone today. Someone has a decision to make today. Don’t put it off any longer. If you need to get you life back right with God then come forward and we will pray together or if you have never accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and He is tugging you telling you to come then don’t hesitate come forward. Maybe you are here looking for a church home and God is telling you this is where He wants you then come on we will be glad to have you. What ever it is that you need come the alter is open as Brother Dewayne and Sister Pam come and lead is in a song of invitation.
