“Great
Issues Of Life” Series #5
"MANAGING LIFE!"
TEXT: Col.
3:1-21
INTRO: How
important is good management?
ILLUS:
During
world war II on a bombing run over a German city one of the ally’s B-17’s was
struck by fire from a 20 millimeter gun ... but they completed their mission and
made it back to base. When they
landed the pilot was shocked to learn that a 20 millimeter shell had hit their
fuel tank ... but no explosion. While finding this incredible, the pilot
the next day went down to get the shell that hadn't exploded in their fuel tank
as a souvenir of great luck ... then the story really got crazy! Not only had their plane taken one 20
millimeter shell in their fuel tank without exploding, it had taken 11
unexploded shells without exploding ... all 11 in the fuel tanks of the
plane! He of course had to wait
until the shells had been defused before keeping them as souvenirs ... and when
they finally came, with them came this astounding story. When opened most of the shells were found
to be empty ... but one contained a piece of paper with Czech writing on it.
When they found someone who could
read it, this is what it said, "THIS IS
ALL WE CAN DO FOR YOU NOW!" Poor management of supplies and
production weaknesses with great demands had caused the Czech factory that
produced the shells to be made without explosive charges ... so they sent them
empty because of the German demands ... management and supply had been the
problem!
– Source Unknown
PROP.
SENT:
There are 3 great areas of
life that require careful management in order for our life to be what God would
desire it to be ... sloppy management in any of these will cause us to
experience less than God's best!
I. HEART Col. 3:1-14
A. Responsibility Col. 3:1-11
1. "Set your
heart" ... language of action and will!
2. While God gives us a new heart ...
keeping it healthy requires some discipline on our part
also!
3. We are responsible for the choices
we make!
a. We can make poor ones ... or good
ones, whichever we make will impact the spiritual quality of our walk with
God.
b. Commitment to Christ needs to be
complete, or total! Anything less
than a total commitment will set us up for compromises that could hurt us
later.
ILLUS: A
Haitian pastor shared this parable one day with his congregation about the need
of total commitment to Christ: A man wanted to sell his house for $2,000 and
finally found a man who wanted to buy it, but the man was too poor and so could
only come up with $1,000. Finally
the owner agreed to sell for $1,000, but with one stipulation, a single nail
sticking out above the front door would remain as his property ... this would be
the one part of the house he would retain ownership of.
The other man agreed. Years
later the original owner of the house wanted it back, but the new owner refused
to sell the house back to him at any price! The first owner therefore, went out and
found the carcass of a dead dog and hung it on the nail he still owned ... soon
the house became unlivable and the family was forced to sell the home back to
the owner of the nail. The Haitian
Pastor's point: "If we leave the
Devil with even one peg in our life, he will return to hang his rotting garbage
on it ... making our life miserable and unfit for Christ's
habitation!
– Source Unknown
4. Why does Paul launch into such a
strong barrage of warnings about sin ... and on being responsible enough to
focus on eternal things, not just earthly things?
a. Paul knows the drive of the sinful
nature in man!
b. Without a constant effort to keep
focus, our sinful nature can take over and control our
lives
c. Sin is an insatiable
appetite!
ILLUS:
Paul
Harvey told this story on radio about how Eskimo's deal with wolves they have
trouble with: First an Eskimo coats
a very sharp knife with animal blood, allowing that layer to freeze. He will recoat and allow many layers to
freeze until the knife is completely concealed by frozen blood. Next they will take the knife and insert
it in the ground blade up. When a
wolf follows his sensitive nose to the source he licks the frozen blood, his
carnivorous nature kicks in ... and that carnivorous appetite takes over ... he
licks faster and more feverishly ... until of course the frozen blood is gone,
but by now his passion for blood has aroused a frenzy of licking ... the sharp
blade does it's work by cutting the wolf's tongue, but all the wolf tastes is
fresh blood ... arousing more intense licking ... by morning it will be dead ...
it's own driven nature making it a victim of his own appetite!
– Source Unknown
5. No wonder the language Paul uses
here is to "PUT TO DEATH WHATEVER BELONGS TO OUR EARTHLY
NATURE."
a. Those earthly drives are often
contrary to those of the Spirit!
b. It is important we learn to manage
our HEART in walking with God!
c. It is a critical responsibility and
discipline to learn!
B. Restoration!
Col.
3:12-14
1. What about our relationship to
others ... how do we manage our heart when it comes to
others?
2. The answer
is:
a. LOVE
b. FORGIVE
3. Heavenly dynamics require us to
restore earthly fall-outs!
4. To the level we
learn to forgive we learn the power of
Spirituality!
5. We cannot manage to live with
others without learning to manage forgiveness!
6. We need to learn to let go of anger
and resentment ... real forgiveness includes the release of anger ... but it
seeks restoration, not retaliation!
ILLUS: Farmers
in southern Alabama years ago planted year after year cotton crops. They managed to live fairly well on
cotton profits until one year the boll weevil struck ... all the cotton farmers
were wiped out that year. The next
year in order to plant their cotton crops many of the farmers mortgaged out
their homes and farms hoping for a good crop that next year ... at first the
crops grew well ... then another boll weevil attack ... all was lost, most went
out of business and lost everything.
The few farmers who were still hanging on the third year decided to try
something risky ... they planted something new ... peanuts! Peanuts proved to be so hardy and the
market proved to be so ravenous that the first year the profits were so great
that those who planted peanuts were able to completely pay off all their debts
and still make great profits ... all within one year! The next year those same farmers spent
some of their new wealth to erect in the town square a monument ... to the boll
weevil! They reasoned that if it
hadn't been for the boll weevil they would never have discovered peanuts ... and
a better life, they lost the anger and anguish and learned that out of great
disaster there can be great delight!
It might sound nuts ... but they won out over anger by managing to deal
with it!
– Source Unknown
7. It is no fun to get hurt or to be
wronged!
8. But it does no good to hang onto
the hurt and continue to be angry ... FORGIVE!
9. There is much
more to be gained from forgiveness than from
unforgiveness!
a. Col.
3:14 in the Greek can mean "forgive yourself" also
...
b. Not only forgive others ... but
include forgiving self!
10. This is how we our hearts are restored and
manage to continue!
II. HAPPINESS
Col.
3:15-17
A. Responsibility Col. 3:15a
1. “Let the
peace...”
2. We are responsible for allowing
happiness into our hearts!
a. We must be willing to allow it
in!
b. We are not zapped with happiness
automatically, like a plant’s needs, we are responsible to nurture and
water it along until its fruit appears!
3. We will reap what we
sow:
a. If we sow unhappiness ... we will reap
unhappiness!
b. What we give is what we
receive!
ILLUS: Sir
Robert Watson Watt invented radar ... several years after inventing radar he was
arrested in Canada for speeding ... caught in a radar trap! He wrote this poem: “Pity
Sir Robert Watson Watt, Strange target of his radar plot, and this, with others
I could mention, a victim of his own invention!”
--
Source Unknown
B. Respect
Col.
3:15b
1. "...since as
members of one body..."
2. Happiness does not come from living
alone!
3. Recognition of other’s needs and
rights ... respect is important to find real happiness!
4. Hence the addition at the end of
this verse "AND BE THANKFUL."
5. Ungratefulness towards others is
disrespectful ... and leads to unhappiness!
6. Grateful and
Thankful people are almost always happy
people!
7. Happy people bring PEACE within a
group!
8. Unhappy and unsatisfied people
bring contention into a group, whatever the group!
9. That doesn't mean no criticism is
acceptable ... it means it is constructive and respectful, with a goal to
restore and heal.
C. Relationships
Col. 3:16-17
1. Sharing comes from relationships
... and there is much to share, many good things:
a. The Word of
God
b. Teaching each
other
c.
Encouragement
d. Wisdom
e. Singing &
music
f.
Gratitude
g. Etc.
2. The mutual benefits of blessing and
being blessed occur within relationships!
3. The burden of relationships is
placed on people in both directions!
ILLUS: God
loves everyone and desires none to perish ... but if we choose NOT to have a
relationship with Christ we will not share heaven with Him! –
Source Unknown
III. HOME Col.
3:18-21
A.
Responsibility
1. The home is of primary concern to
God ... we need to understand the importance of managing our home life ... it
impacts all of society!
ILLUS: A
newspaper columnist and pastor, George Crane told how a wife came to
him full
of hatred toward her husband. She
said, "I do not only want to get rid of
him, I want to get even! Before I
divorce him, I want to hurt him as much as he has hurt me!" Dr. Crane suggested the following
plan for this woman: "Go home and act as
if you really love your husband, tell him how much he means to you and praise
him for everything you can think of that is a decent trait in him. Be as kind, considerate, and generous as
possible. Spare no effort to please
him, to enjoy him. Make him believe
you, love him, and after you have convinced him of your undying love and that
you cannot live without him, then drop the bomb! Tell him you’re getting a divorce ...
that will really hurt him!" With revenge in her eyes she smiled
and exclaimed, "Beautiful ... beautiful,
will he ever be surprised!"
And she did it with enthusiasm!
For 2 months she did it all. When she didn't return Dr. Crane called
and asked, "Are you ready now to go
through with the divorce?" "DIVORCE!" she exclaimed, "Never! I discovered I really do love him."
She managed her emotions, and this
affected her MOTIONS! The result of her accepting
responsibility to manage her emotions brought healing in to her heart and
home!
– Source Unknown
2. Where there is
no responsibility there will be no RESPONSE or
ABILITY!
B. Roles Col.
3:18-21
1. Wives submit to your husband
(not men in general) ... idea is not
slavery!
2. Husbands are to love their wife ...
and are not to be harsh to them!
So much for
slavery!
3. Children are to obey their parents
... this pleases the Lord!
4. Dads are not to embitter their
children ... by being too harsh or treatment of being
unfair!
5. Taken together these roles are all
well-balanced and create a healthy home!
6. These roles maximize the management of a healthy home with healthy
relationships!
7. Without roles we tend to live for
ourselves! Selfishness never brings
happiness! Good management
recognizes the need for others!
CONCLUSION:
The secret to managing life is found in how we handle our heart,
our happiness, and our home! Good management of these areas are not
automatic, it is a matter of some effort and discipline, along with God’s
empowerment. How well are you
managing your life?