"The Emperor's Clothes" (Part 1)

When we put on the Emperor's clothes, we will smell like Him.

Colossians 3:1-15

Bible Passage

Colossians 3:1-15 (CSB - Christian Standard Bible)

1So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

2Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

3For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

4When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

5Therefore, put to death what belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry.

6Because of these, God’s wrath is coming upon the disobedient,

7and you once walked in these things when you were living in them.

8But now, put away all the following: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and filthy language from your mouth.

9Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old self with its practices

10and have put on the new self. You are being renewed in knowledge according to the image of your Creator.

11In Christ there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all.

12Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,

13bearing with one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a grievance against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive.

14Above all, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.

15And let the peace of Christ, to which you were also called in one body, rule your hearts. And be thankful.

1

HOOK (Grab Attention)

Illustration

How many of you like a good smelling perfume/cologne??

When we were first married, Jess used to love to keep my shirts because they would smell like me and my cologne.

She was captured with the fragrance of the one she loved.

She loved to be around me, but when I physically wasn't there, she would put those shirts on and it would remind her of everything about me that she loves.

2

BOOK

Bible Passage

Colossians 3:12-13 (CSB - Christian Standard Bible)

12Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,

13bearing with one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a grievance against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive.

Explanation

"God's chosen ones"

Chosen

You have been chosen by the heart of God to be born again.

Nothing in you "impressed" Him to choose you for salvation

We are NOT impressive...

nothing about being:

Poor is impressive

blind is impressive

naked is impressive

deaf is impressive

dumb is impressive

dirty is impressive

dead is impressive

The only thing impressive about our condition is that God looks at us and says, I will use that...for my glory, and they will be my family.

Holy

The UNHOLY have been made HOLY.

He became our sin and gave us His righteousness

YAHWEH is Holy, Holy, Holy

if we are to be brought into this family we have to have the family nature...

"there is a holiness without which no one will see the Lord".  (Hebrews 12:14)

Dearly Loved

As His children, we are SO LOVED.

if we, being evil, know how to give good gifts...how much more will our Heavenly Father give good things/Holy Spirit to those who ask Him??

We know how to love, and we believe we are fairly decent at attempting to love

If God IS love itself, how GREAT is the love that is shown to us??

GOD HIMSELF is drowning us in love...

"He has given ALL THINGS that pertain to life and godliness" (2 Peter 1:3)

You don't just give your life and attention to people you don't love....

Explanation

Put to death/put away

sexual immorality

impurity

lust

evil desire

greed, which is idolatry

anger

wrath

malice

slander

filthy/obscene language from your mouth

Do not lie to one another

"Put ON"

Compassion

Deep awareness of the suffering of another accompanied by the wish to relieve it. synonym: pity.

Do you have compassion for people?

Does your heart break for people and their situations?

Does your compassion drive you to action??

Speaking the truth in love

Truth without love is harsh

“Truth without love is brutality, and love without truth is hypocrisy.” ― Warren Wiersbe

Have a soft heart that breaks for people, but isn't afraid to tell the truth.

Compassion is the fragrance of the King

Kindness

There is never an excuse to be unkind to anyone.

Jesus wasn't a nice guy, he was a good man, and when you are good to people, you are kind.

kindness = usefulness, goodness, gentle

being KIND does not always mean that you will come across as "nice"

The root meaning of the word "nice" is "ignorant or unaware"

being "nice" is to pretend you don't know there is a problem.

being "kind" is to be usefully good to the situation.

Kindness is the fragrance of the King.

Humility

Humility = a deep sense of one's own (moral) littleness

Pride shows up in two forms

Arrogance and high-mindedness

Self-centered pity parties

BOTH OF THESE CRAVE ATTENTION AND TO BE SEEN

"Humility is an awareness of who God is, which defines who we are and allows us to rightly relate to other people."  -Joel Muddamalle

See Jesus rightly

See yourself rightly

See everyone else rightly

From that humility, comes the LOVE OF GOD...

God resists (at war with) the proud, but gives grace to the humble...

Humility is the fragrance of the King

Gentleness

Gentleness = mildness

Meekness is NOT weakness

Meekness is power under control

Blowing any and everyone out of the water just because you can is NOT being meek

Example of being meek is understanding a situation and showing self control to listen before speaking

Jesus says that the meek will inherit the earth.

Humility is KNOWING and UNDERSTANDING your position before God and others

Meekness is how you live and move in humility...how you carry yourself in a genuinely humble manner.

Gentleness is the fragrance of the King

Long suffering

Long-suffering = enduring patience; slowness in avenging wrongs

Are you an impatient person with other people?

With God?

Do you suffer long with people, even when they keep "coming at you"?

"Whereby a person patiently bears the evil words and actions of others, and is not easily provoked to wrath by them, but puts up with injuries, and sits down contented with the ill usage he meets with." -John Gill

Long suffering is the fragrance of the King

Bearing with one another

very literally... "putting up with one another"

"to hold each other up"

Are you willing to hold up your brothers and sisters up when they are feeling weak??

Are you humble enough to let them hold you up??

How easily can you put up with people and their trifles??

or do you put up with people at all?

Bearing with one another is the fragrance of the King

Forgiving one another

"JUST AS the Lord has forgiven YOU, so you are also to forgive..."

"if you don't forgive others, your Father will not forgive your offenses."  Matthew 6:15

this is a NECESSITY as a born again believer.

If you don't have forgiveness you don't have salvation.

Forgiveness and reconciliation are TWO SEPARATE things

Forgiveness is a mindset and heart condition

Reconciliation is a process of restoration

Forgiveness is the HEART of the GOSPEL

Forgiveness is the fragrance of the King

3

LOOK

Application

What does this mean for us in the BIG SCHEME of things??

If we truly belong to the King and have been given His nature in being born again, we will continue to be putting off and killing the old person.

We will be growing in a HATRED of the sin we once loved.

We will be growing in a LOVE for the Savior we once cared nothing about and was indifferent to.

Where are you?

Are you growing in a hatred for sin?

Are you putting off the old self with its desires?

Are you growing in a love for Jesus...deeper and deeper?

4

TOOK

Challenge Application

HOW DO WE GET HIS FRAGRANCE?

You smell like someone only when you have been close to them

Who do you smell like?

ILL:  I remember when my dad would come home from work when I was a little kid and I would hug him and kiss his cheek...

I would smell like his cologne and sweatiness...

Do you have the imprint of the Father on you?

Do you have His fragrance in your life?

Go and stay in His lap.  Sit with Him.

Talk with Him.  Hear Him in His Word.  Love Him with everything you are.  Love others in the same way you love yourself.

When you have been close to the Emperor, you will smell like Him and others will notice too.