Message of the Week

The Little White Community Church

Scripture: Col. 3:18 – 4: 4 October 26, 2025

Message: “Doing Your Best for the Lord!”

by Pastor George Gnade

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Introduction:

1. Today we are continuing our study of the Book of Colossians. It will also be our last lesson. If you remember, Col. 3 taught us how to live the Christian life. 

2. The passage we are studying today changes the emphasis. Paul is still teaching them how to live the Christian life, but the stress in these final passages is on working for the Lord.

3. Most older people were taught to work hard at their jobs. Many of those in the younger generation do as little as they can. It is amazing how many businesses have a hard time finding people who are willing to work at all. 

4. A Christian is called to be different from the world around us. Whatever we do, first of all we are to do it in such a way that the Lord will be proud of us. Let us consider this subject in more detail.

A. Let us begin with family relationships.

1. In Col. 3: 18- 21, Paul explains how godly families are to treat each other.

a. In vs. 19, it says: “Wives are to submit to their husbands as they would submit to the Lord.”  This has nothing to do with how good or bad your husband treats you. It has to do with how willing each woman is to please the Lord. 

b. God wants each woman who loves the Lord Jesus to treat her husband as if Jesus was her husband.  

c. In the same way, every Christian husband is to treat His wife the way Jesus would treat her, with kindness and love and respect.  

2. A Christian is to be like Jesus and treat his or her family the way Jesus has loved and treated them. 

a. Because Jesus forgave us, we are to forgive our spouses. As Jesus has listened to your prayers, you are to consider the needs of your spouse and prayerfully do what you believe would be in the best interests of your family.

b. Your reward in heaven will be partially based on how you treated your spouse in a Christ-like and kind way. Therefore, always ask yourself, what would Jesus do? Then put your heart into what you do.

3. God wants us to be different than the world around us. God wants our families to know we are Christians by our love. That way, they will be drawn to Christ by what they see in us. 

a. If they hurt or reject us, we are not to get even. We must trust the Lord to take care of that. 

b. Isn’t that what Jesus did? Even when He was despised and rejected by men, on the cross, He still prayed God would forgive them. In plain words, even on the cross, Jesus wanted His enemies to see how different He was so that they would repent and come back to the Lord after His death and resurrection.

4. Our children should also see Christ in us so they will want the Lord. As God’s children, children should obey their parents in the Lord. If someone in our family asks us to sin, we should not do it. But children are to live like Christ so their parents can see the difference. The older we get, the truer that is. Let’s keep going.

B. In vs. 22-25, Paul deals with slaves.

1. Again, Paul keeps it simple. In those days, slaves did most of the work. Free men usually didn’t have to work. So this passage can be applied to us as well since most of us must work for a living.

a. Paul does not discuss whom we work for. Once again, he keeps it simple. The slave is told to obey whoever was over him as if he were Christ Himself.  He is told to do his best whether the boss was watching him or not. 

b. That way, the Master would see the difference between the Christian and a worldly person. Hopefully, he would be drawn to Christ.

c. In the early church, you would be surprised by the number of masters or mistresses that came to Christ because they saw the love of Christ in their Christian slave.

2. In our day, when a Christian really does his best on the job, whether he is being watched or not, it makes an impression that may open the door for you to put a good word in for Jesus. He will reward you. 

3. Now in all imperfect situations, whether in family life or the work place, sometimes abusive behavior occurs. That may have to be dealt with. God will show you what to do. None of that affects how Jesus wants us to live loving lives ourselves.

4. Also notice that masters are held accountable just as much as the slave.  Husbands are held accountable just as much as their wives. No matter who you are, what it says in Col. 3:23, sets the standard. “Whatever you do, work at it with all of your heart, as if you were working for the Lord, not for men.”

a. The story of Joseph in the O.T. is an excellent example of how to live for the Lord and how to forgive regardless of where he was or how he was treated (See Gen.37-50, esp. 50:15-21).

b. How Paul’s life was changed after he became a Christian is another good example (I Tim. 1:12-17).

C. Thirdly, how we live as a Christian should also affect how we pray.

1. In Col. 4: 2, Paul wrote: “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” A Christian is strongly encouraged to spend time in prayer. That is because how you pray will often reflect how you live. As you daily pray to the Lord, you are more likely to live for the Lord.

2. Paul teaches us to be watchful as we pray. That way when we see a need, we can respond to that need. Don’t forget Jesus is coming again. This should motivate us to pray for the lost and even to pray for ourselves, lest we be tempted. God wants us to be ready when He comes.

3. Paul also taught us to pray with thankful hearts. We often take the blessings of God for granted. That’s why, at the end of every day, I try to think of things that happened that deserve our praise, not just our concerns.

4. In Col. 4:12, Paul gives us a good example of someone who was devoted to prayer. It was Epaphras who lead them to Christ (Col. 1: 7).

a. In Col. 4:12, Paul wrote: “Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ… is always wrestling in prayer for you that you may stand firm in all the will of God.”

b. That is how we are to pray for each other.

D. Finally, Paul encourages us to work for the Lord and to complete the work He calls us to do.

1. God has given each of us different gifts we are to use for Him.  A church needs each person to do his part as God leads him.

2. In Col. 4:17, Paul asks them “to tell Archippus: ‘See to it that you complete the work you have received in the Lord.”’ When we willingly work together as a church and do our part for the Lord, Jesus is honored and God is glorifies. 

In Conclusion:

So whatever you do in all your relation-ships, do it to please the Lord. God will reward you. Amen!