The Letters Colossians 3:16-24

Colossians 3:16

Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all

wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

• This is living together as a body!

o “The message of Christ dwell among us” – What is that?

▪ Luke 10:25-28 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he

asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 “What is written in the Law?” he

replied. “How do you read it?” 27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your

heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love

your neighbor as yourself.’” 28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and

you will live.”

o This can sum up the need for reconciliation with God, and loving others

according to God’s Word.

o Teach – To instruct. We have many “teachers” in our congregation. My father, Diana, Carlos, PJ. We

have those here who are gifted in teaching but may not know how to use their gift for the church.

o Admonish – This is someone who is a counselor, or can give warning. The Gk word “nouthetoeo”

literally means to “put in mind”. Admonishing and teaching can go hand in hand.

▪ We do these things in wisdom. Wisdom is different than knowledge. Knowledge is knowing

what to do, wisdom is knowing why, where, when and how to do it.

▪ We can often know what to do but lack the discernment and wisdom to do it.

• Just because you can teach or council we need God’s wisdom to do those things.

o “Psalms, hymns and songs” In Greek these three words have different meanings. “Psalms” emphasizes

instruments, “hymns” are the songs in general and the word “songs” emphasize singing.

▪ Our time in worship isn’t just a fun way to start the service. It is a way that we teach, instruct and

encourage each other. Hopefully the songs we sing are directed by the Holy Spirit!

▪ I miss the old time hymns. They have such great theology in them! In fact that is going to be one

of our next sermon series.

o Gratitude and thankfulness is so important! If we do not give God the glory we assume it all and we

deserve none of it. We become and idol when we do not give thanks!

Colossians 3:17

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving

thanks to God the Father through him.

▪ I think sometimes we misread this verse. We interpret it sometimes as this: “When you do something good, make

sure that God gets the credit.” This is not what the verse says!

o The verse says “whatever you do” – The Greek word is “pas” it mans “all, every, whole, entire, totality”.

This means that not only when you do good you should be like God, it means that you should always be

like God in everything you say or do.

▪ This means we should be a good representation of Jesus in ALL or words and ALL our actions.

Colossians 3:18 Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

▪ Every husband’s favorite verse amen?!

o Diana’s turn to preach!

Colossians 3:19

Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.

▪ Here Paul is giving a summary of what he says in Ephesians

o Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for

her

▪ How much does Jesus love the church? He died for us! We as husbands tend to have a very

protective side to us when it comes to our wives. We actually romanticize it right? We imagine

scenarios that may never happen. My favorite is when ninjas attack the family and have to

defend them with nothing other than my wits and bare hands!

• Sometimes I think it might be easier to fend off ninjas than to apologize to my wife!

o We should be gentile, kind, compassionate and loving to our wives.

o If we are always trying to serve them 100% then they will want to follow us

wherever God takes us! If we are always looking out for ourselves then why

would our wives trust in with their submission. We can’t have it both ways!

Colossians 3:20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.

▪ This too is one of my favorite verses!

▪ This is obviously talking about Godly households. Parents are not perfect and they will not do everything right

but if we as parents are looking to the Lord to be our guide then we are on the right track!

Colossians 3:21 Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.

▪ The word for embitter here is “erethizo” which literally means to provoke into action. To irritate

o When I drove a school bus they had a rule for dealing with kids. Be fair, firm and consistent.

▪ If we are playing favorites or being to harsh or not following through on our discipline our kids

will grow up confused on what they should expect. Kids may fight against it but they want

structure and boundaries. Boundaries give freedom!

• If I know where my boundaries are I can freely move within them. If I am always in fear

of making a mistake because I am not aware of the expectations I will not grow.

Colossians 3:22-24 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and

to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all

your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an

inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Anyone who does wrong will be

repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism

▪ Slavery was a reality then. In the Old Testament it was not a method for subjugation but a way to pay off a debt.

You were not a slave forever. There were different types of slavery at this time but mostly slavery was still a way

to pay off a debt. We might correlate this verse to our roles as employees. We work for someone to pay our

debts.

o This verse speaks of integrity. Always obeying even when your master isn’t looking. Obeying not only

just to gain their favor but to represent the Lord well.

▪ To work as if we are working for the Lord! Why? Because we represent him! In EVERYTHING

remember?