Colossians 3, 17-21 - IN THE NAME OF JESUS

COLOSSIANS 3:17-21

IN THE NAME OF JESUS

What have you ever done in the name of Jesus?

Have you ever been saved in the name of Jesus?

You are a sinner.

You have no personal righteousness that pleases God.

Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay for you sins, was buried, and rose again.

When you call on the name of Jesus in faith for forgiveness of sins and eternal life, you receive forgiveness and are saved from eternal punishment in hell.

Romans 10:13 - For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Romans 10:9-10 - That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. [10] For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

What have you ever done in the name of Jesus?

Christian, have you ever found forgiveness in the name of Jesus? You committed a sin, and were convicted of it. Based on the shed blood of Jesus Christ, God forgave you that sin.

1 John 1:7 - But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

Light exposes dirt. God's light exposes sin. When we walk in God's light, we identify sin and confess it.

1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

What have you ever done in the name of Jesus?

Have you prayed in the name of Jesus, realizing that the only way you have access to God the Father is through God the Son? Of course this is what the Lord Jesus told us to do.

John 14:13-14 - And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. [14] If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

What have you ever done in the name of Jesus?

Have you shared the Gospel in the name of Jesus?

Have you gone to school in the name of Jesus?

Have you gone to work in the name of Jesus?

Have you helped a friend in the name of Jesus?

Have you taken a nap in the name of Jesus?

Have you eaten pizza in the name of Jesus?

Have you gone to a party in the name of Jesus?

Now before you think that I've gone completely crazy, take a look at Colossians 3:17.

And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

When I do something in Jesus' name I do it so I can please Him.

When I do something in Jesus' name I do it in a way that brings glory to Him.

When I do something in Jesus' name I do it realizing that He is the judge of how successful or unsuccessful it is.

There are four things mentioned right after this challenge to do things in the name of the Lord Jesus. These four things have to do with the family.

The Christian Family is the place where Jesus Christ should be honored above all others. The Christian Family is the place where all should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus.

As Hudson Taylor said, If your father and mother, your sister and brother, if the very cat and dog in the house, are not happier for your being Christian, it is a question whether you really are.

-Edythe Draper, Draper's Book of Quotations for the Christian World (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1992). Entries 3871-3874. Bible Illustrator 3.0

So what should members of a Christian family do in the name of the Lord Jesus?

WIVES SHOULD SUBMIT IN THE NAME OF JESUS

HUSBANDS SHOULD LOVE IN THE NAME OF JESUS

CHILDREN SHOULD OBEY IN THE NAME OF JESUS

PARENTS SHOULD BE TENDER IN THE NAME OF JESUS

WIVES SHOULD SUBMIT IN THE NAME OF JESUS

Vs. 18 - Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.

In our day and age, I'm sure that just the mention of a woman submitting to her husband has caused some consternation.

Allow me to give you thoughts about submission that may help you.

· Everyone in the family is to be submissive, not just the wife.

One of the evidences that a person has been filled with the Holy Spirit is that he or she is submissive. Submission is a mutual thing.

Ephesians 5:21 - Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. Submission is a lot easier when everyone in the family is submissive and not just the wife.

Whenever possible a loving husband and father will submit to the wishes of his wife and family. When a person submits, he or she is surrendering their "rights" to another.

· Submission has nothing to do with equality. If we submit to someone it does not mean that we are inferior. Many a superior corporal has submitted to an inferior lieutenant.

Jesus as God is equal to the Father, and yet he came to earth and acted in submission to His Heavenly Father.

Philippians 2:5-8 - Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: [6] Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: [7] But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: [8] And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

In Christ men and women are equal.

Galatians 3:27-28 - For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. [28] There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

· Submission of a wife to a husband maintains order in the family and sets an example for the children.

Mom, don't expect your children to submissive to Dad, if you're not. You set the example.

Dad, don't expect your children to be submissive to God, if you're not. You set the example.

· Submission is voluntary. Wives are to submit to their husbands as they would to the Lord Jesus and for his sake.

Men, remember this:

Because submission is voluntary we shouldn't demand it. We earn it.

We earn our wife's submission by loving our wives. More in a moment.

· A wife's submission is to be fit in the Lord.

Therefore, a wife does not have to submit when a husband is asking her to do that which is in violation of the Word of God.

There are times when husbands make submission on the part of their wives difficult because of our attitudes and behavior. That is when wives are asked to submit to the Lord first and then to their husbands as something the Lord wants them to do.

WIVES SHOULD SUBMIT IN THE NAME OF JESUS

HUSBANDS SHOULD LOVE IN THE NAME OF JESUS

Colossians 3:19 - Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.

Men, so much of the success of a Christian family depends on us.

We are the God-appointed leaders of the family.

That does not make us dictators.

A good leader allows others to make decisions.

A good leader relies on the strengths of others.

A good leader gets the job done.

A good leader is a great lover.

Let me say that again, "A good leader is a great lover."

To what extent are we to love our wives?

Ephesians 5:25 - Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

· Jesus sacrificed his own life for the church.

Men, our lives, should be lives of sacrifice that help our wives and children.

· Jesus listens to his people.

Jesus shows us love by listening intently to what we have to say.

We show love when we listen intently to what our wives and children have to say. Your wife and children appreciate it so much when we just take the time to listen.

· Jesus helps his people. He is there to assist when we ask.

Men, we need to be available to help our wives and children when they ask.

· Jesus protects his people.

Psalm 34:7 - The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.

Men, if we love our wives and children, we will protect them from physical, spiritual and emotional harm.

Men, sometimes we have to slow our wives down when they take on too much. And sometimes we need to allow them to just cry on our shoulders.

Colossians 3:19 - Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.

Men, if we love our wives, we will forgive them when they make mistakes.

If we love our wives, we will not hold grudges or become bitter over things that they have said or done. Men, it is possible for us to seethe within, and as we do, our bitterness will cause us to put a wedge between our spouses and us.

Ephesians 4:32 - And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Men, we can make it so much easier for our wives to be submissive and for our children to be obedient if we just love them, the way Christ loved the church.

WIVES SHOULD SUBMIT IN THE NAME OF JESUS

HUSBANDS SHOULD LOVE IN THE NAME OF JESUS

CHILDREN SHOULD OBEY IN THE NAME OF JESUS

Colossians 3:20 - Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.

If you are under your parent's roof and not adult age, you are to obey them.

If you have living parents, you are to honor and respect them.

And the way you treat your parents is probably the way your children will treat you.

Teenagers, you especially tend to think that your parents are old fashioned.

You especially think that your parents don't know much.

You especially think that your parents want to ruin your fun and are too protective.

Let me tell you something. Your parents have faced hardships and difficulties that they don't want you to have to face. They have made mistakes they don't want you to make.

What you see as a restriction on your fun, is a protection for you against evil.

If you are a Christian, you should be obedient to your parents because you want to do that which pleases the Lord.

And one last thing - Remember that because your parents are not perfect, they will need your forgiveness.

All us parents have made mistakes. Be willing to forgive us.

You'll need that same forgiveness from your kids when you are a parent.

WIVES SHOULD SUBMIT IN THE NAME OF JESUS

HUSBANDS SHOULD LOVE IN THE NAME OF JESUS

CHILDREN SHOULD OBEY IN THE NAME OF JESUS

PARENTS SHOULD BE TENDER IN THE NAME OF JESUS

Colossians 3:21 - Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

There are things which parents can do that will alienate, annoy, hurt and discourage their children. John MacArthur gave a list of ten things that parents can do to exasperate their children.

1. Parents can exasperate their children by over-protection.

2. Parents can exasperate their children by showing favoritism.

3. Parents can exasperate their children by depreciating their worth.

4. Parents can exasperate their children by setting unrealistic goals.

5. Parents can exasperate their children by failing to show affection.

6. Parents can exasperate their children by not providing for their needs.

7. Parents can exasperate their children by a lack of standards.

8. Parents can exasperate their children by criticism.

9. Parents can exasperate their children by neglect.

10. Parents can exasperate their children by excessive discipline.

Our memory verse for this week, Ephesians 6:4 gives us some more information on how to raise children in Jesus' name and how to be tender towards them.

Ephesians 6:4 - And, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger; but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. NAS

When we discipline our children, we should discipline the way the Lord disciplines us.

The Lord's discipline is designed to make us better.

The Lord's discipline deals with the things that are wrong.

The Lord's discipline is never more severe than we need.

The Lord's discipline is administered in love.

When we instruct our children, we should instruct them in the things of the Lord.

· Your children and grandchildren should learn songs about Jesus from a very early age.

· Your children and grandchildren should hear Bible stories from a very early age.

· Your children and grandchildren should know what God says about salvation at a very early age and should be led to faith in Christ.

· Your children and grandchildren should go to church and Sunday School from a very early age.

· Your children and grandchildren should be constantly instructed in the things of God.

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 - And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: [7] And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

I realize that no parent is a perfect parent. I, for one, made lots of mistakes. But in parenting I found my God to be gracious. He forgives us when we confess our failures as parents. And he looks beyond our actions to see our hearts. If we have a heart to raise our children for the Lord, He blesses the results. I have found this to be true with our three children.

Proverbs 22:6 - Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Psalm 92:13 - Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God.

Colossians 3:17 - And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

One of the greatest gifts God has given you is your family.

Strive to make sure that what you say and do within the family is done in the name of Jesus.

WIVES SHOULD SUBMIT IN THE NAME OF JESUS

HUSBANDS SHOULD LOVE IN THE OF JESUS

CHILDREN SHOULD OBEY IN THE NAME OF JESUS

PARENTS SHOULD BE TENDER IN THE NAME OF JESUS