Lessons From Colossians
Colossians 1:9-14 (10/3/19)
October 3, 2019 • Benham Brothers
* Paul saw himself as a father to those he wrote to. * These verses give us a great outline on what to pray for for our kids: * 1) vs 9 - God would fill them with the knowledge of His will - he wanted them to experience it through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. * 2) vs 10a - They would life a life worthy fo the Lord and please Him in every way. * 3) vs 10b - They would please Him in all respects. * 4) vs 10c - They would bear fruit in every good work - to stay connected to the source so they could be nourishment for others. * 5) vs 10d - They would grow in the knowledge of God - experiential knowledge. * 6) vs 11 - They would be strengthened with power so they will endure. * 7) vs 12a - They would live thankfully. * 8) vs 12b - They would know they are qualified to share in the inheritance of the saints - they get the same reward as all the heroes of our faith. * 9) vs 13-14 - They would recognize what Christ did for them.
Colossians 1:17 (10/8/20)
October 8, 2020 • Benham Brothers
* An entrepreneur is an intercessor - someone who intervenes on someone’s behalf. * They “stand in the gap” between a person and a problem - they bring a solution. * God calls all of us to stand in the gap and bring connection between God and people. * Jesus was the ultimate gap-stander. * Vs 17 - laminar is a cell adhesion molecule that acts like glue to hold cells together. * Without it we literally fall apart. * It’s like the re-bar inside of concrete. * Google “laminen” and see what shape it’s in. * It’s in the shape of the cross!
Colossians 1:28 (10/5/17)
October 5, 2017 • Benham Brothers
* I’ve heard a lot of people say they want to be known for what they are “for,” not what they are “against.” * Paul obliterates this type of thinking. * Paul says we are to do two things: * 1) Warn - you have to tell people what to stay away from. * 2) Teach - you have to tell people what to move toward. * Warning others is what makes a person fatherly (or motherly). * Paul said in 1 Corinthians 4 that we have many teachers but few fathers. * A father is willing to tell the truth (and so is a good doctor).
Colossians 2:6-7 (10/5/17)
October 5, 2017 • Benham Brothers
* Paul is talking about justification and sanctification. * He then gives us two pictures. * vs 6 - we are to “walk in Him,” which is a continual process. * vs 7 - Paul changes the analogy from a person to a building and tree. * We are to be “rooted” and “built up” - this is a picture of permanence - being built up on a solid foundation. * Justification is about identity - our identity changes one time at confessing Christ. * Sanctification is about behavior - we now have to act like our new identity.
Colossians 2:15 (10/3/19)
October 2, 2019 • Benham Brothers
* This verse says Jesus made a “public display” of the demons. * But was it public then? * Did people look on Him and know what He was doing? * NOPE! * It wasn’t until the Apostles preached through the power of the Holy Spirit did Christ’s sacrifice and salvation become public knowledge. * Christ was faithful in private which set the stage for His testimony in public. * We live in a world where everyone wants to go public with their good deeds, and technology has made it possible. * This feeds the wrong dog. * We need to be like Christ on the cross!
Colossians 3:1-14 (10/3/13)
October 3, 2013 • Benham Brothers
Your spirit has been reborn and you are brand new, now do these things: Set your affections on things above Set your mind on things above Why? Because you're old man is dead and the new man does these things Put to death evil deeds - STOP doing them now Experience Renewal Put do death the root causes of evil deeds Clothe yourself with righteousness - this is the new man
Colossians 3:5 (10/5/17)
October 5, 2017 • Benham Brothers
* How do you put to death the sins of our flesh? * By STARVING them! * We refuse to feed them. * This means when the temptation comes we replace the lie behind it with the truth of God’s Word. * This takes place in the mind. * When we refuse to give attention in our mind to the temptation it will starve to death. * The command to “have nothing to do with sexual immorality, etc” goes two ways: * 1) The person lusting - in a typical scenario this would be the guy lusting after the girl. * He’s got to control this by starving that temptation. * 2) The one being lusted after - a girl needs to make sure she’s not dressed or behaving in a way that would cause a boy to lust. * She’s got to starve that temptation!
Colossians 3:14 (10/3/19)
October 2, 2019 • Benham Brothers
* This chap teaches us MUCH about living the Christian life, especially in how to treat others. * vs 12-14 - Paul uses the phrase “put on” a lot, like putting on clothes. * He was a king of mixing metaphors! * The most important thing to put on is “love.” * Love is the “binding” ingredient of relationships. * Cookie dough analogy. * Ingredients stay separate until eggs are added. * Apart from love we don’t bind with those we are intended to bind. * We can’t become a brand new substance without it. * Without eggs you wouldn’t eat the dough. * Without love people can’t nourish themselves on your relationship. * Love is compassion with standards - without one you don’t have love. * When we have both we will find ourselves binding to others and becoming nourishment for those around us.
Colossians 3:17 (10/3/19)
October 2, 2019 • Benham Brothers
* Our work is worship. * When we work with a heart of gratitude to God He receives it as worship to Him. * It doesn’t matter what it is. * Apply this to your work today: * If you have to make a spreadsheet for your boss, then do it as if Christ Himself gave you the job and can’t wait to see how you do it. * This will change your perspective on work. * Here’s the beauty, when you work “as unto the Lord” it does two things: * 1) Makes you accountable - you’ll need to do good work because you represent Christ and don’t want to give Him a bad name. * 2) Makes you powerful - the Holy Spirit will partner with you, and when that happens God takes responsibility for the results.
Colossians 3:18 (10/5/17)
October 5, 2017 • Benham Brothers
* The gospel gave such freedom to women it required Paul to remind them of proper relational order. * Submission means “to arrange under rank.” (Warren Wiersbe) * This is a military term, revealing our need to fight a battle. * The commander is no better than the private, but they have different ranks so they can win the battle. * Headship is not dictatorship or lordship - it’s loving leadership. * If a man loves his wife he’s willing to sacrifice for her. * The best commanders are willing to take a bullet for their soldiers. * She responds by submitting to him. * This gives us victory. * Sacrifice + Submission = Victory.
Colossians 3:22-25 (10/6/16)
October 6, 2016 • Benham Brothers
• Paul was addressing Godly order in households, which included slaves (servants). • They were the modern day employees. • He tells them to serve “as if God Himself gave them the job.” • 4 times Paul mentions that slaves are working for the Lord. • Notice Paul left them in their position as slaves, but he changed the way they saw it. • Paul addressed paradigms - how people “saw” things. • This was the foundation upon which work could become worship and slavery would become obsolete. • Colossians 4:1 - Paul outlines the principle of equality. • He puts slave masters on the same level playing field as slaves - everyone is a slave of God! • Paul didn’t attack the institution of slavery, he outlined the principle upon which it would be abolished. • And he couched it in the context of WORK!
Colossians 4:1 (10/4/18)
October 4, 2018 • Benham Brothers
* Paul doesn’t try to abolish the institution of slavery - he outlines the principle upon which it would one day be abolished. * He places the master and the slave on the same level. * How? * By putting them both UNDER GOD. * This principle led to the destruction of the institution of slavery. * It was the foundation for equality. * Before the institution changed people’s worldview had to change. * They needed to “see” slaves as equal before they ruled slaves as equal. * vs 9 - Onesimus was “one of you” - he was actually a runaway slave.
Colossians 4:2-3 (10/5/17)
October 5, 2017 • Benham Brothers
* Notice what Paul prayed for - opportunities to share the gospel. * Notice what Paul did not pray for - God to get him out of his situation. * He was in jail. * This is like the thief on the cross - he didn’t ask to get out of his situation and he received salvation. * The other asked for deliverance out of the situation and he received condemnation. * We need to concern ourselves with what God is doing and not wha we’re doing. * This is what makes our prayers powerful!
Colossians 4:16 (10/5/17)
October 5, 2017 • Benham Brothers
* The OT books were already considered Scripture when Jesus was around. * But it wasn’t until the late 300’s did the New Testament get codified. * The gospels were written as eye witness accounts. * But letters written to churches explaining the mystery of the gospel and the keys to living for God in light of Jesus Christ became the New Testament. * Paul continually encouraged these letters to be read to other churches. * These letters are now our New Testament.