Colossians 3:1-4:1 Raised

Discussion notes based on the sermon preached the morning of 21-8-22

STUDY MATERIAL

Read the passage again and don’t forget to start your meeting in prayer.

Particularly ask that the Holy Spirit would guide your discussion and help you to apply what is said in Scripture to your lives today. Sermons are available on the St John’s website or YouTube channel.

Sermon Outline

Col 3:1-4:1 – Raised

  1. Focus on our hope in Jesus (vv.1-3; note also Chapter 1 vv.12-13).
  2. Take dealing with your sinful nature seriously (vv.5-10; see also Romans 8:13).
  3. Focus on Godly actions and attitudes and especially love (vv.11-14).
  4. Let the peace of God rule in the Church (v.15).
  5. Let the word of Christ be at the heart of the Church (v.16).
  6. Do everything in the name of Jesus (v.17; see also vv.18-24 – especially v.23 – and Chapter 4 v.1).
  7. Give thanks in everything (last bits of v.15, v.16 and v.17).

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

(i)                  Some think that focussing on our hope in Jesus either (a) comprises believing in “pie in the sky when you die” or (b) risks being “so heavenly minded that you are no earthly use”.  How do you think that Paul would have responded to these points?

(ii)                What things can you do to deal with your sinful nature?  What is useful and what is not?  In the sermon, Richard mentioned:

  1. Recognise God’s holiness and hatred of sin (c.f. v.6);
  2. Remember that we are called to be holy (see 1 Peter 1:16);
  3. Acknowledge that what the bible says is wrong is wrong.
  4. Accept that there is no quick fix and that long term awareness, determination and will is required (which is implicit in the passage).
  5. Focus on the real problem (our natures) and not externalities (see Colossians 2:23).
  6. Recognise that you need help and that it is available from the Holy Spirit (c.f. vv.9-10), so seek it.

(iii)               What does Paul indicate forms the background to the way that we should relate to one another in the Church (see vv.11-12)?

(iv)               How can we put in to practice the requirement that we let the peace of Christ rule (v.15)?

(v)                 How can we better teach and admonish one another, letting the word of Christ dwell in us richly, in an appropriate way (v.16)?

(vi)               What does doing everything in the name of the Lord Jesus (v.17) mean in practice?  In the sermon, mentioned:

  1. That it involves doing everything as the representative of Jesus and with his authority;
  2. That if we doubt that we have his authority for something then we should not do it (see Romans 14:23), although we should not expect express clear guidance on everything that we do;
  3. That God is interested in every element of our lives and we can’t divide them into the bits in which we serve God and the bits in which we don’t;
  4. That the last part of the passage provides examples of the principle in practice and what is said to slaves (exp v.23) is particularly important since it is of general application.

(vii)             How can you give thanks more as you go about your daily life?

Prayer:

Pray for God’s help to grasp the hope we have in heaven and the strength to put our sin to death.