Colossians 3:18-4:6 New Living Translation… Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting for those who belong to the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly. 20 Children, always obey your parents, for this pleases the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not aggravate your children, or they will become discouraged.
22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything you do. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. Serve them sincerely because of your reverent fear of the Lord. 23 Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. 24 Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ. 25 But if you do what is wrong, you will be paid back for the wrong you have done. For God has no favorites.
1 Masters, be just and fair to your slaves. Remember that you also have a Master—in heaven. 2 Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. 3 Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains. 4 Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should.5 Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.
Introduction: Since Jesus is Lord, then His lordship must invade the ordinary space of our existence.
Transition: Paul is teaching us that if Christ is sovereign over everything, there is no part of life where we get to tell Him, “You cannot reign here.”
Exposition:
–Christ’s sovereignty rearranges our relationships… 3:18-21
- Jesus must be Lord of how we treat the people closest to us.
- Kingdom authority should reflect the love and character of Christ.
“When Christ becomes Lord of your heart, God starts rearranging your house.”
“You cannot be captivated by Jesus and remain comfortable mistreating people closest to you.”
–Christ’s sovereignty redeems our work… 3:22-4:1
- Our work becomes worship when it is done for the Lord.
- Sovereignty produces excellence and integrity even when nobody is watching.
“Your supervisor may sign the check, but your ultimate audience is Christ.”
“Sovereignty produces integrity when nobody is looking.”
–Christ’s sovereignty deepens our prayer life… 4:2-4
- Prayer aligns us with what God is doing, even when circumstances do not change.
- God can create opportunities for ministry in the middle of difficulty.
“A closed prison door cannot stop an open gospel door.”
“When you are captivated by sovereignty, prayer becomes less about controlling outcomes and more about aligning yourself with the purposes of God.”
–Christ’s sovereignty shapes our witness… 4:5-6
- The lordship of Christ must govern both our behavior and our speech.
- Truth should always be communicated with wisdom, grace, and love.
“You cannot say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and then give your tongue unrestricted authority.”
“We can win an argument and lose an opportunity.”
Conclusion: Where am I still resisting His lordship?
If He is Lord at all, He is Lord of all!
Let Jesus reign in every aspect of your life.
