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Please turn with me in your Bibles 
to Colossians chapter three. Colossians chapter three, we 
find ourselves in a brief study in the apostles letter to the 
Colossians, primarily focusing on the relationships that flow 
out of this gospel of conquering grace. Remember that the apostle 
Paul tells his readers that they are to look to those things above. 
They are to set their minds on Christ. And as they do so, as 
they imbibe that gospel ethic, it should affect their lives 
horizontally. In other words, when we look 
and when we focus upon our Redeemer, it should have a positive effect 
in our church, in our home, and even in our workplace. So that's 
the larger context. I will read the chapter, so we'll 
have cause to refer to several sections. So beginning in Colossians 
chapter 3, beginning in verse 1. If, then, you were raised 
with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ 
is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things 
above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is 
hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, 
appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Therefore, 
put to death your members which are on the earth. Fornication. uncleanness, passion, evil desire, 
and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things, the 
wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which 
you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. But now you 
yourselves are to put off all these—anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, 
filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since 
you have put off the old man with his deeds. and have put 
on the new man who is renewed in knowledge, according to the 
image of him who created him, whether he is neither Greek nor 
Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor 
free, but Christ is all and in all. Therefore, as the elect 
of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, 
humility, meekness, long-suffering, bearing with one another, and 
forgiving one another, If anyone has a complaint against another, 
even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all 
these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection, and 
let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you 
were called in one body, and be thankful. Let the word of 
Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing 
one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing 
with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do 
in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving 
thanks to God the Father through him. Wives, submit to your own 
husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives 
and do not be bitter toward them. Children, obey your parents in 
all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, 
do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. 
Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the 
flesh. Not with eye service, as men pleasers, but in sincerity 
of heart, fearing God. And whatever you do, do it heartily, 
as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you 
will receive the reward of the inheritance, for you serve the 
Lord Christ. But he who does wrong will be 
repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality. Masters, 
give your bondservants what is just and fair, knowing that you 
also have a master in heaven. Amen. Well, let us pray. Father, 
we thank you for this, your holy word. We pray for the ministry 
of your spirit now. We pray that we would learn well 
the lessons of Colossians chapter three. She would give us the 
grace, Lord God, to truly focus upon Jesus, to dwell upon him, 
to think his thoughts after him and to glorify him. We ask now 
that you would forgive us of all of our sins and all those 
things that darken our mind and our understanding. We pray that 
you would wash us, that you would purify us, that you would make 
us receptive to the Holy Scripture. And God, for any and all who 
have come here this morning that do not know the Lord Jesus Christ, 
the Savior, we pray that by your spirit and by your word that 
they would be brought forth today, that they would confess that 
Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father, that they 
would know the joy of being found in him, not having a righteousness 
of their own, which is from the law. but having that righteousness 
which is from you through faith in the risen Savior. How we thank 
you, God, for gospel of mercy. How we thank you for saving grace. 
And how we pray that today a great multitude would taste and see 
that the Lord is good. And we pray through Jesus Christ 
our Lord. Amen. Well, as we have had cause 
to reflect on this particular chapter, the main imperative, 
the main idea, the main focus of the apostle is found in verses 
one and two. If then you were raised with 
Christ. In other words, you have, by 
the grace of God, believed the gospel of Jesus Christ. You've 
been raised from the dead. You are now positioned in Him. 
You have that righteousness which is not your own, but you have 
the righteousness which is from God through faith. If that is 
the case, if then you were raised with Christ, Seek those things 
which are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand 
of God. Set your mind on things above, 
not on things on the earth. In other words, as believers 
in Christ, as those who are saved, our minds ought to go Christ's 
word. We ought to focus upon Him. Arguably, when we trace through 
this chapter and we see the various sins condemned, we must admit 
that if these things are true of us, then we're not focusing 
upon Jesus. I mean, take the first instance 
in verses 5 and following. He says you're to put to death 
the deeds of the flesh. You're to put to death specifically 
sexual sin. So we might argue, conversely, 
if you are engaged in sexual sin, if your mind is filled with 
uncleanness and evil desire, and you have given yourself over 
to idolatry, then you're not focusing on Jesus. Your mind 
isn't where it ought to be. Believers in Christ have their 
minds focused on Christ, and then that fleshes itself out 
in the way that they live. Paul then goes on to condemn 
the sins of the tongue. If you are filled with all malice, 
if you are a slanderer, if you are a gossip, if you engage in 
all manner of wickedness with your tongue, then we have to 
conclude your mind isn't where it ought to be. It is inevitable, 
now not perfectly, but it is an inevitability that when the 
Christian is focusing upon Jesus, that is the impetus, that is 
the power, that is the gracious disposition wherein he is able 
to resist the deeds of the body and to resist the deeds of the 
tongue. He puts those things to death 
by virtue of the reality that he is in Jesus Christ. moving 
through the chapter. Therefore, as the elect of God, 
holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, 
meekness, longsuffering, bearing with one another and forgiving 
one another. If anyone has a complaint against 
another, if your relationships aren't marked by these realities, 
if these things are absent from your conduct, if you know nothing 
of a forbearing spirit, you know nothing of a forgiving heart, 
then your mind isn't Where it ought to be your corporate relations, 
your church life will be severely affected. Notice how Paul goes 
on to say that above all, we are to put on love, which is 
the bond of perfection. He says within the context of 
the local church, we are to let the peace of God rule in our 
hearts. Verse 15, to which also you were called in one body. 
And we are to be thankful. We're to let the word of Christ 
flow richly in us. We're to admonish and teach one 
another. We're to sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. 
All as a result of where our mind is focused. And then moving 
on to the family. If wives are not submissive to 
their own husbands, ask unto the Lord, because their mind 
isn't focused on Jesus. If husbands are embittered against 
their wives and filled with all sort of malice and angst towards 
them, because their minds aren't focused on Christ. You see how 
the gospel, the things that we believe, affect how we live. This is why Paul elsewhere can 
say, we are to let our conduct be worthy of the gospel. I am not suggesting we live the 
gospel. The gospel is strictly defined 
as those events connected with Christ. His life, His death, 
His resurrection. But when men, by the grace of 
God, believe that gospel, they inevitably enter into the life 
of sanctification. And because they're focused on 
Christ, their relationships are intact. Douglas Moos says that 
this section of the epistle deals with the Lordship of Christ in 
earthly relationships. Please don't miss that. We're 
not simply to pick up in the section on personal ethics, wives 
this, husbands this, children this, fathers this, slaves this, 
masters this, masters this, in some humanistic, moralistic sense. No, the Lordship of Christ is 
to govern the way that His people live in their earthly relationships. If we lose sight of that, then 
we are going to blunder and have many issues in our Christian 
life. I think what I'm trying to say was best summarized by 
John Owen in volume one. He says, the most of our spiritual 
decays and barrenness arise from an inordinate admission of other 
things into our minds. Let me just sort of parse that 
for our 21st century mind. He says, the most of our spiritual 
decays and barrenness arise from an inordinate admission of other 
things. Anything other than Christ, we 
admit that into the seat of our affections. Anything other than 
Christ, we dwell upon and we focus upon. Anything other than 
Christ, whether it be ourselves, which is genuinely chief among 
most of us, or it might be our jobs, or it might be our wives, 
or it might be our children, or whatever it is. If it takes 
us from doing what Paul says in verses 1 and 2, that will 
be the ground upon which we suffer decay and barrenness. He says, 
these are they that weaken grace in all its operations. He says, 
but when the mind is filled with thoughts of Christ and His glory, 
when the soul thereon cleaves unto Him with intense affections, 
they will cast out or not give admittance unto those causes 
of spiritual weakness and indisposition. In other words, when we have 
our minds where they ought to be on Jesus Christ, then everything 
else falls into place. That's the essence of the apostles' 
It is a summary or rather an amplification or an exposition 
of that statement of our Lord in Matthew chapter 6 and verse 
33. Seek first the kingdom of God 
and His righteousness and then these things will be added to 
you. You want to be a good churchman? 
You want to be a good husband? You want to be a good wife? You 
want to be a good father? You want to be a good child? 
You want to be a good slave or a master? Put your mind on Christ. Meditate upon Him. Contemplate 
on Him. Think in terms of His gospel. Think in terms of His glory. 
Think in terms of His absolute sovereignty and Lordship. Think 
of His coming again in glory to judge the living and the dead. 
All these things ought to play in the minds of the believers 
so that we live in the manner that is consistent with new men. 
and with new women in Christ Jesus the Lord. We've looked 
at the corporate responsibilities, life in the church. We've looked 
at the domestic sphere in terms of life and the family, husbands, 
wives, children, fathers, all those sorts of relationships. 
Now we come to slaves and masters, verses 22 to chapter 4, verse 
1. We'll take up, first of all, 
the duty of slaves, and second of all, we'll take up the duty 
of masters. Now, I realize that that word 
slave causes some of our feathers to ruffle. That word slave causes 
a bit of discomfort. We automatically think of shadow 
slavery practiced in the United States of America. It was based 
on racial concern. That's not the sort of slavery 
that is in view here. We've looked at slavery with 
reference to the old covenant people of Israel in our studies 
in Deuteronomy. There were times and instances 
where a man, because of his debt and his inability to pay back 
that debt, would sell himself into slavery to a family where 
he would work and then pay that debt he owed. We might call it 
indentured servitude. Well, there was a similar sort 
of thing in the early Roman Empire. I just want to give us some thoughts 
that will help us not to be feeling like, you know, Paul's just this 
wretched man that's dealing with a wretched institution. We need 
to get our minds thinking biblically. This is from Douglas Moe, a bit 
of an adaptation from his commentary. He says that slavery was an integral 
part of the social and economic world of the first century. He 
suggests that perhaps as many as one third of people in Colossae 
were slaves. In fact, there were so many slaves 
in the Roman Empire, it was suggested at one point that they wear a 
uniform. Beware. Hopefully this isn't 
coming to us. We'll all be wearing uniforms 
here in North America as North American citizens. But they discouraged 
it. They voted against that idea 
because they didn't want the slaves to know how numerous they 
really were. It was very common and very rampant 
in Paul's Rome. Freedom and liberation was not 
the obvious good in the first century that it is in the 21st 
century. And it was not racially motivated. 
It might be a man who had less than stellar skills, and this 
was a position for him, wherein he could operate, where he could 
live, and where he could support a family. So we saw in that passage 
in Deuteronomy 15, dealing with the Hebrew slaves. At the end 
of the sabbatic year, you were to release the slaves. And when 
you were to release the slaves, you were to bless them with lots 
of good gifts. You were to give them money. 
You were to give them possessions. You were to give them from each 
area of your produce so that they could go out and start their 
own life. But there was an instance wherein 
the slave might say, I don't want to be free. Because he loved 
the family, and he realized that he prospered in the family. It 
was an incidence where the slave became endeared to the family, 
the family to the slave, and so they kept the arrangement 
going. As well, the first century Christians 
were a small group living within an all-powerful, authoritarian 
empire. They didn't have the same category 
of social action that so many of us traffic in today. Oftentimes, 
the church is all about ameliorating the downtrodden poor and lifting 
everybody up to a good social status. Well, it's interesting. 
The church in the first century, plagued with slavery, The church 
in the first century plagued with homosexuality. The church 
in the first century plagued with the same sorts of sins that 
plague us emphasize the preaching of the gospel of free and sovereign 
grace. What are we supposed to extrapolate? The answer for man in any situation 
is Christ and Him crucified. That never changes. And that's 
what the church engaged in. And then the early Christians 
ultimately rejoiced in their identity as the people of God, 
no matter what their specific station in life. Now to be sure, 
Paul in 1 Corinthians 7 says that if you can secure your freedom, 
go ahead. It's not consigning you to ever 
live as a slave. Paul is simply speaking to classes 
of men in the first century and telling them how they are to 
function as believers in those stations. The first of all, the 
duty of slaves. Notice their action. Bondservants 
obey in all things your masters according to the flesh. Just 
as the child is to obey his parent, just as the wife is to be submissive 
to her own husband, as is fitting to the Lord, so must the slave 
obey his master in all things according to the flesh. Of course 
we make the necessary qualification. It's not in all sinful things. 
Your master tells you to sin. Your master tells you to engage 
in those things which are rebellious against God and His law. You 
must obey God rather than men. That is a necessary qualification 
built into every sphere of our submission to a higher authority. 
If the government mandates sin, if they tell us to disobey God, 
we must obey God rather than men. That comes from Acts chapter 
5, verse 29. It comes from the prophet Daniel. 
When instructed not to pray, did Daniel say, OK, I'm going 
to submit to this ungodly magistrate? No, he prayed. He served the 
Lord. He feared the Lord. No man can 
tell you that you can't serve the Lord. You must obey God rather 
than men. But notice, the bond servants 
obey in all things, all lawful things. You're a slave, just 
like we saw with the children. When did we ever allow it to 
be the case where children say, you know, I like these five requirements, 
but these other five, you know, I just don't like. Well, when 
the master tells the slave to do something, he does it in all 
things. The master is, get this, He's 
the master. If he's functioning lawfully, 
he's functioning according not even to God's law or biblical 
law, but he's not telling you to sin. You need to obey him 
in all things. This was absolutely crucial, 
because remember, go back to verse 11 for just a moment. What 
could a Christian be tempted to think in light of verse 11, 
where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, 
barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in 
all? What could a Christian take from 
that statement? Well, if there's no more Jew 
or Greek, there's no more circumcised or uncircumcised, there's no 
more master or slave. When the slave comes to work 
on Monday morning, the master says, I want you to make the 
pot of coffee. But you can't command me that, because now 
we're one in Jesus. No, there's still real relationships. Husbands are still husbands and 
wives are still wives. The point of verse 11 is that 
there's redemptive solidarity. There is redemptive unity. There 
is a new humanity, but it doesn't get rid of distinctions like 
Jew and Gentile. It doesn't get rid of distinctions 
like male and female. You can't just reverse your roles 
because you're one in Jesus. You men can't be the wife and 
you wives can't be the men because you're one in Jesus. It doesn't 
work that way. And so Paul puts these things 
into place so that the slave doesn't come to work and say, 
you make your own coffee because I'm saved. Jesus has liberated 
me from bondage to sin and the curse of making coffee. I use that because when I first 
joined the United States Air Force, military police, carried 
a gun, thinking you're the hottest thing that ever set foot on an 
Air Force installation. Butler returned to station and 
made coffee. Wait a minute, that's below my 
dignity. Do it. You're a slave. Engage 
in the task that the Lord God has given to you. I think if 
we understand Paul's logic in this passage, It dignifies every 
aspect of lawful employment. You see, Paul's going to go on 
and say, we do our service as unto the Lord. So when we make 
coffee, Or when we as ladies change diapers or wipe noses 
or do those things that appear to be less than stellar in the 
world's estimation. Here is a dignity given to those 
aspects of service because it's for Jesus Christ. If you have a lawful job, You're 
not out selling drugs, you're not out running prostitution 
rings, you're not engaged in some manner of wickedness. If 
you have a lawful calling under God, no matter how medial the 
world may treat it, in this context, the very slave they were doing 
these pieces of service has unto the Lord. This brings dignity 
to your job. Go tomorrow with joy. Do your 
task as unto the Lord. Serve the Lord Christ in your 
work and see if that doesn't invigorate and refresh and revive 
you. It doesn't matter what the task 
is. You might say, oh, but it's such 
a small thing. It's such a little thing. I'm 
not splitting the atom out there. I'm not a nuclear physicist. 
I'm not a rocket scientist. I'm not a surgeon. I'm not dealing 
with intricacies with reference to the human heart. This is all 
I do, but it's on to the Lord. It ignobles it. It dignifies 
it. It empowers it. The new man in 
Christ Jesus serves his Redeemer. The Apostle Paul tells them, 
in terms of action, that they were to obey in all things their 
masters. Notice it's according to the 
flesh. Your earthly masters. The guy who signs your check. 
The guy who gives you your task for the day. There is a parallel 
or a contrast. You've got a heavenly master 
and you've got an earthly master. The heavenly master doesn't obliterate 
those distinctions. The heavenly master sustains 
them and tells you how you are to function accordingly. It's 
really beautiful. Hope you appreciate how the gospel 
speaks to every area, to every inch of our lives, to every square 
inch. There is nothing done neutrally. Notice the attitude that the 
bond servant is to imbibe. The bondservant is not to do 
this with eye service as men pleasers. That means just what 
it says. Look busy. The boss is coming. 
Hand me the broom. The boss is coming. Let me carry 
these papers. The boss is coming. Not with 
eye service as men pleasers. The idea condemned here is that 
the slave only functions and operates when the master's watching. You see, the whole emphasis in 
the section is that you've got a greater master. You've got 
your earthly master, but you've got a heavenly master. And he's 
sovereign. He's omnipotent. He's always 
on the throne. He's always stationed at the 
right hand of his father. And he always sees and knows 
precisely what is going on. It is applicable, what Solomon 
says in Proverbs 15, the eyes of the Lord are in every place, 
beholding the good and the evil. So that when you're making that 
coffee, Jesus is watching. Not like, make it right, sort 
of a thing. Don't mess it up. He's watching. He's sovereign. He's over all. 
Remember, your mind is to be rooted upon Him. It is to be 
focused on those things which are above. Realizing that Christ 
is where He is. Realizing that what Christ has 
done for you is true. You do your task, not just in 
eye service. Not just because the Master is 
watching me. The idea here is that the slave 
works only to please men. I'm not saying work so you don't 
please your master. Certainly please your master. 
Most of us are employees. Work hard to please your master. That's legit. But that's not 
the primary focus. The primary focus is the master 
in heaven. See, when we please the master 
in heaven, the master on earth will be pleased. The employee 
that is a Christian ought to be the best, not to be the whiniest, 
not to be the biggest sniveler, not to be the biggest complainer, 
not to be the one who people can't count on, but rather he 
is the slave that serves the Lord Christ. So there is a negative 
attitude condemned, not with eye service as men pleasers, 
but a positive attitude, but in sincerity of heart. The slave is to be obedient, 
focused, industrious and diligent in his obedience to earthly masters. You see, that's something I think 
as Christians, sometimes we forget. You know, I've met people, Christians 
in the past, they've come, they've said, oh man, I had a great time 
at work today. I got to spend Three hours sharing 
the gospel. And my first thought is, are 
they paying you to share the gospel? You say, but we should always 
share the gospel. Absolutely. And our conduct and our ethic 
ought to be consistent with the gospel. Now, you may have a job where 
you can do the job and share the gospel for three hours. Praise 
the Lord for that benefit. That gift of beneficence, that 
ability wherein you can do your task and share the truth with 
an unbeliever. But never forget your primary 
responsibility at work. Get this. It's to work. It's 
to serve. It's to do it in sincerity of 
heart. I love a parallel passage to 
this in Titus 2. Exhort bond servants to be obedient 
to their own masters, to be well-pleasing in all things, not answering 
back, not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity. That is a 
purpose clause for their conduct. When you see that in a specific 
text, pay attention. So, here's the duty. Exhort bond 
servants to be obedient to their own masters, to be well-pleasing 
in all things, not answering back, not pilfering, but showing 
all good fidelity that they may adorn the doctrine of God our 
Savior in all things. So when you're there on time, 
you do your work heartily as unto the Lord. You do it with 
sincerity. You're not a grumbler. You're 
not a whiner. You're not a complainer. You're not a pilferer. That means 
a thief. You're not stealing money for 
work done when you haven't done it, but rather you're doing all 
these things as unto the Lord. The purpose clause again here 
is high and noble, that they may adorn the doctrine of God 
our Savior in all things. There ought to be something different 
about those who have their minds focused on Jesus. They ought 
not to be perpetually late. They ought not to be the ones 
that whine, and every time they're given a task. They ought to be 
the kinds of people you can count on so that they may adorn the 
doctrine of our God and Savior. You see Paul's emphasis here. 
Focus on Jesus to function better as a slave. And then he highlights 
there is to be a Godward attitude. So there's a negative attitude, 
a positive attitude and a Godward attitude. Notice in verse 22, 
not with eye services, men pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing 
God. Why do you work so well at your 
job? Because I fear God. Just so you can get plaques and 
coffee cups and Employee of the Month parking spots. I mean, 
those are nice benefits. I'm not suggesting any of you 
say, well, I don't want that. I'm just serving the Lord. Yeah, 
and when you serve the Lord, you'll stand before kings. That's 
what Solomon says. You see a man who excels in his 
work, he shall stand before kings. So don't resist all that and 
some higher and nobler thought that, oh, I'm just doing this 
for God. You're doing it for God. If they give you a parking 
spot for the month, Great. They give the McDonald's coupons? 
Great. No, no, I'm just a Christian. 
That's fake. That's a piety that isn't biblical. But the primary emphasis, the 
stress of the passage lies on fearing God. So you don't do 
your work this way simply for the McDonald's certificate. You 
do it because you fear God. Now, if you happen to get a McDonald's 
certificate as a corollary, go ahead and use it. But if pressed 
and if that asked, the man who's got his mind focused on Christ 
has a higher and nobler end. It is the glory of God Most High. When he's doing a job that no 
one sees, that no one praises him for, that no one applauds 
him for when he does it as unto the Lord. That's when satisfaction 
comes to the mind of the heart and the mind of the heart of 
the man who fears the Lord. Hill says it this way, fearing 
God, who sees and knows all things, what servants do when their masters 
are absent from them and to whom they are accountable. and a servant 
that fears God will make conscience of discharging his service faithfully, 
will not misspend his master's time, nor embezzle his goods 
or waste his substance, but from a principle of reverential affection 
for God and fear of him, with a concern for his name and a 
view to his glory, will with all diligence, uprightness, faithfulness, 
and sincerity do his duty, seek his master's good and interest, 
and cheerfully obey all his lawful commands." How many of us would 
never allow our children to get away with what we try to get 
away with with our masters? Kid, I want you to take that 
sock and put it in that basket. OK, I'll do it, but I'm not happy. How many times do Christians 
in the workplace function like that kid? We would smack him, 
biblically speaking, of course. At ministry, the right ratio 
of rod and reproof with love and with affection and with prayer, 
but nevertheless realizing the mandate of our God. The blueness 
of the wound does scour away evil, and we are wicked to resist 
that when God's ordained it. But we would never allow that 
sort of thing from our children. And yet we hear the command to 
make a pot of coffee. I suppose there's people all 
over the world that would give their right arm to make a pot 
of coffee in North America for the kinds of wages that we get, 
the kinds of stuff that we have. We think about it. Think of the 
alternative. Think about where you could be 
and what you could be doing. We have it pretty good. And this 
text admonishes us that as we're looking to Christ, as our minds 
are rooted upon him, as they're focused upon him, when the master 
tells us to do something, we do it first out of fear to God. And then we conduct ourselves 
in a manner that is consistent with a biblical and a decent 
work ethic. Consider as well the evangelistic 
effort or the evangelistic impact of such a mindset. That guy never complains. Everybody 
else in the shop complains, always. That one guy doesn't complain. 
That one guy doesn't need penal retribution poured out on him 
so he'll work. Someday that master is going 
to say, why do you work this way? Well, do you have three 
hours, sir? Let me tell you why. Because 
I have a heavenly master. I have a Lord who came into this 
world, who didn't come to be served, but He came to serve 
and to give His life a ransom for many. In His grace, in His 
mercy, in His love, in His kindness, He chose me. He bled for me. He rose for me. And then He has 
called me to glorify Him in my body. He has called me to glorify 
Him in my work. He has called me to glorify Him 
in my relationships. Sir, if you come to this heavenly 
Master, you will have benefit and blessing and joy unspeakable 
and full of glory. That actually doesn't take three 
hours, does it? F.F. Bruce says, if a Christian 
slave had an unbelieving master, he would serve him more faithfully 
now because the reputation of Christ and Christianity was bound 
up with the quality of his service. It's a great statement. Why was 
there a change in the view of the empire toward Christianity? 
Why was there, over a period of time, a change with reference 
to how the Christians were viewed? Because they started to realize 
these Christians aren't as bad as we were told. They actually 
work hard. They actually pay their taxes. 
They don't have domestic disputes. They're decent and upright people. 
You see, initially the Roman Empire was antagonistic against 
the church. But as time progressed, prior 
to the fall of the Roman Empire, I'm not saying everybody became 
a Christian. I'm not saying that everybody 
looked at Christians favorably. The antithesis was gone. The 
enmity, I'm not suggesting that at all. But over a period of 
time, there was a change in perception. And I believe the same is true 
with a Christian man in his workplace. He ought to be different. She 
ought to stand out. Not because she's always pumping 
Bible verses into the employer, you know, wearing, you know, 
with all the gear and the accouterments. But it's by virtue of the conduct 
of the servant in the workplace that there is an apologetic effort 
that is launched and oftentimes engaged in successfully. And notice the incentive here 
for the slave. Verse 23. And whatever you do, 
do it heartily as to the Lord and not to men. knowing that 
from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance, 
for you serve the Lord Christ. Whatever you do, do it heartily. He is summarizing it. He's adding 
this blessed incentive of an inheritance that is to be gained 
ultimately, not the parking spot, not the ink pen, not the gift 
certificate, but the inheritance which abides forever and ever, 
world without end. You see, Paul can take the most 
mundane tasks and under His hand can bring dignity, because it 
is about the gospel ultimately, and it's about the glory of the 
triune God. Whatever you do, do it heartily, 
as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you 
will receive the reward of the inheritance, for you serve the 
Lord Christ. This is most blessed and most 
wonderful. I suspect if I ask some of the 
men in this church, or I ask men in general, that we're Christians, 
what is it that you desire from time to time? I'm not talking 
about the parking spot, I'm talking about the income, I'm talking 
about that dignity that comes from a job. Well done. Wives, 
you can go a long way in helping your men in this area. Probably 
your husband doesn't hear from his employer. I'm proud of you. 
You're doing a good job. Most of the time, you might be 
sitting there saying, I've got a great employer. Most men don't. goes a long way for a woman to 
say, thanks be to God that you serve our family in the manner 
that you do. You're a hard worker. You're on time. I'm proud of 
you. That's a blessing. That's a good thing. I rejoice 
in that. But even if no women ever do 
that for their husbands, look what the Christian slave has 
here in this passage. Your boss may not care. Your 
wife may not care. Your children may not care. But 
Jesus sees. Jesus is glorious. There is nothing 
insignificant in terms of His comprehensive rule and lordship. Whatever you do, remember we're 
dealing with the class of slaves. These aren't the splitters of 
Adams in the first century. These aren't the senators. These 
aren't the congressmen. These aren't the doctors. These 
aren't the lawyers. They're the slaves. What do slaves 
do when it says, whatever you do? Very often, it's menial. Most people just take it for 
granted that these things get done. Christ sees. Christ views. Knowing that from the Lord you 
will receive the reward of the inheritance For you serve the 
Lord Christ. Again, Gil says, this is said 
for the encouragement of Christian servants who, though they may 
receive little or nothing from their earthly and carnal masters, 
yet they shall be used and treated as children by the Lord and by 
whom they will be possessed of an eternal inheritance after 
their work and labor is over. By the reward of the inheritance 
is meant the heavenly glory, called a reward because the apostle 
is speaking to servants and therefore uses language agreeable to them. And who though they may have 
no reward in this world, yet as there is a God that judges 
in the earth, there is verily one for them in the world to 
come. Eschatology matters. The present 
conduct in the workplace. That occurred to me. Somebody 
might be thinking, Butler's wife needs to encourage him. That 
was not some sort of backhand approach to try to get my wife 
to say, add a boy. It's just as I've lived and moved 
and had my being over these 15 years in pastoral ministry and 
a bit longer as a Christian, I have seen that what Paul says 
in terms of husbands and wives relating to one another is absolutely 
what we need. It's interesting. In the parallel 
passage to Colossians 3 and Ephesians 5, You can summarize the husband's 
role as loving leadership. You can summarize the wife's 
as honorable submission. She is to honor her man. When your man is out there for 
80 hours a week, working hard, bringing home money, you won't 
kill him for his wife to say thank you. You're doing a good 
job. There's biblical warrant for 
this mindset as well. See, we get this idea because 
we read Puritans, oh, we'll just puff them up with pride. That's 
probably not our tendency. Proverbs 31. Many daughters have 
done nobly, but you excel them all. The godly man tells his 
wife that from time to time. She shouldn't fall unconscious 
because you say a good word to her. It shouldn't be that outlandish. paramedics, because you spoke 
a kind word. But you know, conversely, let 
the wife see that she fear the husband. It's a word that we 
don't like, but it's the word that Paul chooses. It means to 
revere. Sarah's paraded as a model. What 
does she call Abraham? Lord! There's nothing wrong with 
that sort of behavior among Christian people. I think it was Susie 
Spurgeon. Mrs. Spurgeon called Spurgeon 
Tershatha. Hope you know what that means. 
It means governor. Tershatha is the Persian word, 
the Persian officer's station. I doubt that means because he 
sat in his big chair and pounded his fist and told Susie what 
was what. No, it was a sign of respect, 
of love. But all that to say, When it 
seems like your boss never notices, when your master never says, 
good job, when you don't get the certificates and you don't 
get the parking spots, if you're doing your service as unto the 
Lord, rest assured, there is a future inheritance coming. This is what Paul says, knowing 
that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance, 
for you serve the Lord Christ. Let that put a spring in your 
work step. Let that put joy in your heart 
tomorrow morning when the alarm clock goes off. Let that be that 
which carries you, that gospel ethic, the realization that Christ 
is on high, that he's coming again to judge the living and 
the dead, that he's included me in his blessed purposes. Certainly 
I'll go make coffee fearing him. Paul now, verse 25, seems to 
be indicating slaves, but transitioning into masters. Verse 25 is a bit 
of a difficult verse. It could go with the slaves, 
could go with the masters, could have a little bit of both. Notice 
in verse 25, but he who does wrong will be repaid for what 
he has done. And there is no partiality. I 
think Calvin gets this one right. Think what Calvin highlights 
here is something to this effect. He who does wrong, you have an 
earthly master that's a wretch. Yes, he's not telling you to 
sin, but he's certainly not a pleasant man to be around. He's harsh, 
he's vindictive, he's wicked, he's cruel, he's unkind, he's 
ungodly. But he who does wrong will be 
repaid for what he has done. And there is no partiality. There's 
a bit of an encouragement there for the slave. That if you are 
mistreated in this lower world, if you are treated like garbage, 
if you are marginalized, realize that that day of judgment, when 
Christ comes, it will be to vindicate his righteous, but it will also 
be to visit with judgment those who resist him and those who 
treat his people poorly. That's Paul's idea in 2 Thessalonians 
1. He says it is right with God 
to afflict those who afflict you. So verse 25, still telling 
the slave, stay in the game. Do not get discouraged. Do not 
grow weary. Jesus is coming. He will not 
only vindicate you and bring you into your future inheritance, 
but there will be punishment. There will be repayment for a 
godless master who treated you poorly. And then in the end of 
verse 25, it probably points to the Master. And there is no 
partiality. Realize, Christ does not judge 
on a curve. Christ doesn't say, well, that's 
how you were operating. I'll just go a little. It's not 
arbitrary. It's not willy-nilly. He is the 
righteous one. Righteousness and justice are 
the foundation of his throne. And he will most certainly carry 
out his task of judgment in a manner consistent to his moral universe 
and to his moral rule. God will vindicate his servants. God cares for them. God calls 
them to wait patiently and not to take vengeance into their 
own hands. You see, that could happen in 
the first century. It could happen in any situation. 
When I was growing up, there was a whole movement called, 
take this job and get rid of it. I don't want to be too vulgar 
here, offensive. This whole idea that the slave 
could just go to the master, I'm tired of working for you, 
just take this job and throw it away. The slave is treated 
poorly in front of others. The slave is looked down upon 
and treated badly by the master. What could be the tendency or 
temptation, even for a Christian man? I've got to get that guy. 
Don't get that guy. The Lord is righteous. There's 
no partiality with him. You leave it to the Lord God 
most high. And then he has direct application 
to the master in verse one, chapter four. He's speaking to Christian 
masters, to be sure. We're not supposed to think that 
non-Christian masters were reading Colossians 3 and say, oh, is 
this how I treat the believers? God saves slaves, God saves masters. Many of you will know that one 
of my favorite biographies is John Jasper. John Jasper was 
a black slave under a more oppressive regime than what we find here. 
It was during the 1800s in America. He worked in a tobacco factory. 
As he was doing whatever he could do with the tobacco that was 
being grown in that field, the word of God was heavy on his 
mind and heart and God saved him right there at that tobacco 
table. What did he do? He started preaching the gospel 
to everybody around him. The pastor, he said, that wasn't 
legit. I imagine when you're shucking tobacco or doing whatever 
you can, you can talk. Well, the master got wind of 
it and called Jasper into his office. Says, what happened, 
Jasper? He says, the Lord, Lord saved 
my soul. It's written that way, too. Sprinkle 
publication, loaned out. I don't know. Maybe, maybe it'll 
show up again someday. The Lord God saved my soul and 
I want to preach His gospel. So the master extends his hand 
and says, welcome to the fold, something like that, brother. 
If God has put it in you to preach His gospel, go and don't stop 
preaching His gospel. Jasper relates this in a sermon. 
He says, for these 40 years I've been preaching this gospel. And 
I'm going to keep preaching this gospel until my breath expires 
and I enter into glory." You see, sometimes masters get saved. And so Paul directly focuses 
on them in verse 1. Masters, give your bondservants 
what is just and fair. The master was to give his slave 
what is just and fair. Remember what Paul is doing here 
in terms of the Roman Empire. Do you think masters had training 
camps in the empire on how to treat their slaves? They're slaves. Do you think there were workshops 
in the empire for how non-Christian men could be better husbands? 
Paul takes the gospel and the cross of the Lord Jesus and he 
plants it firmly in the midst of every social relationship. He says, if you're a master and 
you have slaves under you, you give them what is just and fair. You don't exploit them. You don't 
treat them harshly. There may have been a time as 
an unconverted man, you pressed and you made them agonize and 
you cheated and you distorted and you twisted. No more. Calvin 
says, though no royal edict had ever been issued for the protection 
of slaves, God allows masters no power over them beyond what 
is consistent with the law of love. Masters, Christian masters, 
love those men. They're image bearers of God. 
Another man said, if a Christian owned a slave, the highest duty 
to which that master could be called was not to set the other 
free, but to love the slave with the self-giving love of Christ. You see, masters are addressed 
very specifically. Give your bond servants what 
is just and fair. And again, the same sort of a 
mindset, knowing that you also have a master in heaven. Do not 
treat poorly those for whom Jesus died. Do not treat poorly even 
the non-Christian. A Christian master ought to treat 
non-Christian slaves with dignity because man has dignity. He bears 
the image of God. He is created in His image. You see, Paul leaves no stone 
unturned. What happens when we focus on 
Christ? Hopefully our churches are happier, 
healthier, and more loving. Hopefully our homes are happier, 
healthier, and more loving. And hopefully our workplaces 
are happier, healthier, and more loving. You see, the cross is 
planted in every stage of your life. You need to reflect upon 
Jesus. You need to seek those things 
which are above where Christ is. You need to set your mind 
on things above, not on things on the earth. So the Apostle 
Paul, in this chapter, addresses slaves. He addresses them, again, 
not as property, not as chattel, not as a tool. Aristotle, the 
philosopher, referred to the slave as a living tool. He's 
a piece of property. Just like your hammer in your 
toolbox, so is your slave. Not so with Paul. He treats them 
as having dignity. He treats them as inheritors 
of a future kingdom. He treats them as people in Jesus 
Christ. The apostle relativizes masters. What do I mean by that? He calls 
attention to both slave and master that there's a heavenly master. 
This earthly master isn't it. This earthly master isn't comprehensive. This earthly master isn't all 
this world has. There is a heavenly master. And 
that puts slave and master in a better perspective, in a better 
spot. The apostle does not endorse 
slavery, but rather he calls for the regulation of an existent 
practice to be carried out in a distinctly Christian manner. Again, I've already alluded to 
1 Corinthians 7. Paul does not object to a slave 
wanting to pursue his freedom. That is legit. That is okay. 1 Corinthians 7.21, were you 
called while a slave? Do not be concerned about it, 
but if you can be made free, rather use it. Don't let that 
puzzle you. Don't let it perplex you. If 
you're content in that situation, if it's legit for you to provide 
for your family, there's no shame in it. There's only shame in 
lawlessness. There's only shame in criminal 
activity or in sinful things. But if we have a task under God, 
again, no matter how menial the world may treat it, it has dignity. It has status before the Lord 
God Most High. This deals with slaves and masters. We've already sort of extrapolated 
along the way. We're bringing this to a close. 
The employer-employee relationship. Most of us don't find ourselves 
as slaves and masters in the Roman Empire. It's not like one-third 
of the people living in Chilliwack are slaves. There's no threat 
of putting us in uniforms because we'll band together and revolt 
against the man. Most of us are employees or we're 
employers. Can we see some parallels? Can 
we extrapolate from this passage some legitimate application for 
us in these various stations of our lives? If a first century 
slave was called to such action and such attitude, do you think 
it's any less for a 21st century employee? Do you think it's okay 
that you don't render service? as unto the Lord? That you go 
ahead and go to work tomorrow with insincerity in your heart? 
That you go to work tomorrow and pilfer? That you go to work 
tomorrow and lie? That you go to work tomorrow 
and you badmouth your employer? Do you think that's legit and 
acceptable? It's not. If your job is that 
bad, find another one. A lot of times people complain 
about their employer. They complain about their churches. 
I'm always a bit wary when somebody comes to our church complaining 
about their old church, because I'm thinking they're going to 
probably be complaining about us not too long from now, right? It's just sort of a circle of 
life. You meet that with some employees. Man, my boss is terrible. He's Hitler. He's, you know, 
whatever. Then find another job or ask God to give you a heart 
to submit and do what you do, fearing God as unto the Lord 
in sincerity of heart. You're probably not going to 
get employers that just give you things and ask very little. You're probably not going to 
get employers who just benefit you without wanting you to produce. For the most part, you're not 
going to get a 25 hour a week job where you get to just sit. That's not typically the way 
it goes. So if the first century slaves 
was mandated to obey in all things your masters, according to the 
flesh, not with eye service, as men pleasers, but in sincerity 
of heart, fearing God, then certainly 21st century employees must do 
likewise. As well, the Christian employee 
ought to be marked by the virtues set forth in all of Colossians 
3. You see, what we find fleshed 
out in the slave-master relationship is simply what we've already 
seen in verse 12. Therefore, as the elect of God, 
holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, 
meekness, long-suffering, bearing with one another and forgiving 
one another, if anyone has a complaint against another, even as Christ 
forgave you, you also must do, but above all these things, put 
on love, which is the bond of perfection. You see, that is 
the ethic fleshed out in the home. That is the ethic fleshed 
out in the workplace. That is Christian conduct. It really is that simple. You 
don't need a big, fat book on how to be a better employer or 
employee. Put your mind on Jesus. Same 
with the masters. In a first century setting, a 
master was told to be just and fair, knowing that you also have 
a master in heaven, and you're going to be an employer and be 
a slave driver, and you're going to be unkind and untoward and 
unjust and unfair. That's ungodly. The same principles 
outlined, the same virtues fleshed out in verses 12 and following 
are to be employed by the Christian master. So the employee, employer 
situation certainly finds a parallel. It certainly finds some legitimate 
application from this section in Colossians chapter 3 verses 
22 to chapter 4 verse 1. Now, we've used the slave word 
a lot and I know it's offensive today. I'm not here endorsing 
slavery. I'm not here endorsing the practice. 
I'm not here endorsing what they practiced in the Roman Empire, 
not endorsing necessarily what they practiced in Old Covenant 
Israel. I'm not here to say that the South was right in the whole 
issue concerning slaves. I think rights and freedoms and 
other things certainly need to be taken in. But my position 
here is today not to endorse the practice, but rather to preach 
what Paul says concerning it. But may I just close by reminding 
each and every one of us that slavery is an inescapable concept. It is inescapable. You may not be a slave economically. You may not be a slave in terms 
of the Roman Empire. You may not be a slave like the 
Hebrews and the old covenant Israel. But rest assured, every 
single person in this room is. Jesus said that whoever commits 
sin is a slave of sin. You see, the Bible sets forth 
two sorts of slavery. You're either a slave to Christ 
or you're a slave to the devil. Whoever commits sin is a slave 
to sin. Don't scratch your head here 
this morning saying, well, the very concept and idea of slavery, 
it's just barbaric and it's antiquated. It has no place in civil discussion. 
It certainly ought not to be a subject of treatment from a 
Christian pulpit. You're a slave. You're outside 
of Christ. If you're inside of Christ, you're 
a slave too. Right? We're not to think ourselves 
free men if we believe the gospel. We are bought and paid for with 
a price. Therefore, we're to glorify God 
with our body and soul. But if you are outside of Christ 
this morning, you are every bit as much a slave as those one 
third of people in Colossae were. Only they were economic, social 
slaves. You are a spiritual slave. And 
there's only one way of escape from that slavery. You know what 
that escape is? That escape is not your good 
behavior. You see, a slave, humanly speaking, 
might reckon this way. If I do enough good, my master 
will see what benefit I can produce and he'll let me go. No, when 
you're a slave of sin, you can't do good. You have no heart for 
good. You don't desire good. You don't 
desire those things which God defines as good. There is one 
hope for escape from the slavery of sin, and Jesus in the same 
passage where he says, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin, 
makes this glorious and wonderful declaration that I hope and I 
pray that you'll take heed to today. He says that whoever, 
whoever believes the sign, Whoever comes to the Son shall be set 
free. There is freedom, emancipation, 
spiritual joy to be had, not in your works, not in your moral 
reform, not in your ability, but in the person and the work 
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Come to Him and whoever comes 
to the Son shall be free indeed." He frees you, and then he puts 
his yoke upon you, and then you become his slave. It's a blessed, 
beautiful arrangement. So never make the idea of the 
thought here that slavery doesn't affect me. It affects you. You 
maybe just haven't given enough thought. There's either slavery 
to sin, slavery to Christ. Christ says, believe the gospel 
and you shall be saved. You'll be set free and you'll 
be free to serve him and to glorify him. Well, let us pray. Our Father, 
we thank you for your word. We thank you for its clarity. 
And God, I pray that we would all focus on those things which 
are above, that we would set our minds on Christ, that we 
would seek those things at the right hand of the Father. that 
God in heaven, these things would be the ground upon which we live 
in this world, that our thoughts of Christ would affect the way 
that we conduct ourselves in our church and in our family. 
and in our workplace. We thank you that your word speaks 
to every area of life, to all matters of faith and practice. 
We pray that you would just make us willing recipients, those 
who desire the truth and those who live by your grace according 
to it. And we ask your blessing now 
to be upon us. And we pray through Jesus Christ, 
our Lord.