Sermon Preview
Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
On Sunday we will once again open the Word of the Lord to the Epistle to the Colossians, chapter 3. Our sermon text will be Colossians 3:22-4:1.
We are continuing our look at a portion of this inspired letter, authored by the Apostle Paul, that has is its subject, ‘The New Life That We Have in Christ Our Lord.’ And in this section, we are learning more specifically about ‘The New Life at Home,’ and how the grace of God changes each of our relationships within the family.
This coming Lord’s Day we will see how Paul speaks of the third component of the first-century household, that of the bondservant and master relationship. Initially, this is the relationship that we are least familiar with from the perspective of our time and culture.
In Paul’s day, the horrible institution of human slavery was alive and well. Some scholars have estimated that a third to one half of the citizens of any given Roman city were “bondservants,” or slaves. Slavery was so ingrained in the ancient Greco-Roman culture that slaves were considered to be a part of the typical family, or household. And this is why Paul addresses “bondservants” and “masters” in this section of his letter which deals with family relations.
Obviously, this fact leads to a significant curiosity about slavery, and the link between such a dehumanizing institution and the Christian Gospel. For example, we might ask why Paul does not speak here of the overthrow of slavery, or at least strongly condemn it. We might also wonder about Christian slave-owners, which there obviously were, for they are directly addressed in Colossians 4:1 (see also Ephesians 6:9). Can one be a “master” and a Christian? And we might want to know about the connection between this passage and our own lives here in a country where, by God’s grace, this institution has been recognized as evil and defeated. Does this section of Paul’s letter really have anything to say to us today? What is the contemporary application of this passage of inspired Scripture?
Well, I believe that this text is so important and relevant to us that we will spend two Sunday’s examining very carefully Paul’s message. I hope that you will take some time to read and reflect upon these words, and also the parallel passage found in Ephesians 6:5-9.
May our dear Father bless you with a restful weekend, and I’ll see you Sunday as we gather before Him.
All my love and prayers to all,
Mike
February 3, 4 PM – Alleluia Choir at Church House
February 3, 4:30 PM – Youth Group
February 5, 9 AM – Senior Fellows Breakfast
February 5, 9 AM – Mother’s Morning Bible Study
February 5, 6 PM – Women’s Evening Bible Study at the Church
February 6, 10 AM – Women’s Morning Bible Study at the Church
February 7, 11:30 AM – Women’s Monthly Lunch at Timbers Edge Clubhouse
February 10, 12 PM – Second Sunday Fellowship Lunch
February 13, 6 PM – Deacons Meeting
February 16, 9 AM – PCA Disaster Response Training
February 19, 10 AM – Senior Fellow Bill Cowley Life Story/ Testimony
Order of Worship:
You can access this week’s Order of Worship by clicking here
If you’d like to sing the songs with your family beforehand, the songs for this week are:
How Sweet To Wait Upon the Lord
Stricken, Smitten And Afflicted – Hymn 257, all 4 verses
Abide With Me
Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing – Hymn 457, all 3 verses
Announcements:
VBS: Mark your calendars! We’ll get to be sea explorers, following Jonah as he flees, then faces, the God who wouldn’t let him go! July 15-18 2019
Alleluia Choir: Alleluia Choir continues Sunday from 4:00-4:45 pm in the Church House. All second graders through age 12 are encouraged to join us. There will be six sessions, with practice wrapping up on February 24.
Senior Fellows: On Tuesday, February 5 at 9:00 AM the Senior Fellows will enjoy breakfast, fellowship and a devotional at the Church House. On Tuesday, February 19 at 10:00 AM Bill Cowley will give his Life Story and Testimony. We will meet at the Church House, and a chili lunch will be provided. Members and Visitors welcome.
PCA Disaster Response Training: On Saturday, February 16 from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, Mission to North America (MNA), Providence Presbytery, and Christ Presbyterian Church will host a disaster response team training session. Lunch will be provided. Topics include Initial Assessment of Disaster Sites and Church/Team Preparation. See Alan Cockrell for more information, and please sign up using the following link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mna-disaster-response-teams-training-huntsville-al-2019-tickets-52232651266
Men’s Spring Retreat: I am excited to announce that we will be having our Spring Men’s Retreat at Guntersville State Park March 29-30, 2019. We will be spending Friday night at the lodge, having dinner Friday night and breakfast Saturday morning. We are planning four teaching sessions; topic to be announced soon. Expect dinner at 5:45 PM Friday and we will end at noon on Saturday. The rooms will be double occupancy so start planning on someone to share a room with. I will be sharing more information in the coming weeks. I am seeking some volunteers to plan possible activities for Friday prior to our dinner and/or Saturday after lunch. Ideas include golf, fishing, and hiking but you my have other ideas. If you are willing to take this on please let me know. Please plan on joining us. – Mark Cooper
Prayer Requests:
Healing: Please pray for the health of the following individuals: Andy Trent, Bill Cowley, Larrabee Kirkland, Cynthia Dent, Katie Dyer, Robin Holloway, Chris Smotherman, Elizabeth Holton, Janet Chou, Ramona Edwards, and Nolan Osmer.
Ministries: Please pray for the following missionaries and ministries: Seth and Jessica Lewis (Ireland); Steve and Rita Williams (New Zealand); Vinnie and Molly Athey (RUF at UAH); RUF at Alabama A&M; Ken and Angie Burnett (FCA); Franky Garcia (seminary student).
Emails:
general inquiries: admin@christpreshamptoncove.org
benevolence needs: benevolence@christpreshamptoncove.org
counsel and ministry needs: matthew@christpreshamptoncove.org
men’s ministry: men@christpreshamptoncove.org
women’s ministry: women@christpreshamptoncove.org
children’s ministry: children@christpreshamptoncove.org
youth ministry: youth@christpreshamptoncove.org
senior fellows: seniorfellows@christpreshamptoncove.org
Address:
288 Old Highway 431
Owens Cross Roads, AL 35763