His Word, Our Worship, & Your Walk

Colossians 3:16–17 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

His Word

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.”

Word of Christ = the message of Jesus = the gospel (Colossians 1:5 “...the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel”). This fits Paul’s overall message to the Colossian church, that Christ is supreme and sufficient, that they must not mess with the gospel by trying to add requirements.

The gospel can be expressed in many ways. It is simple enough for a child to understand and profound enough that angels marvel at it.

God—ultimate reality, infinite in power, love, and joy, created the universe as the overflow of His glory.

Man—the crown of God’s creation, given charge to fill the earth and subdue it in fellowship with God, rebelled against Him.

Earth—once glorious in the radiance of its divine Maker and in the splendor of its human keepers, fell at man’s rebellion.

The Law—given to mankind through Moses showed humans how to live with integrity and showed that fallen man has no power to do so.

Jesus—the eternal Son of God became a man, fulfilled the Law perfectly, and absorbed the penalty for man’s sin by suffering the curse that God rightly placed on man for his sin.

The Holy Spirit—eternally united with the Father and the Son raised the righteous Son back to life in an eternal, glorified body.

Faith—a simple trust in the power of Jesus to rescue us grants us access to God’s saving grace and applies Jesus’ sacrifice to our ledgers of debt against God.

Heaven—the dwelling of God becomes the eternal dwelling of all men who know God through faith in His Son by the life of the Spirit dwelling in them.

The gospel is not just something to be shared with unbelievers. Listen to Paul’s words from 1 Corinthians 15 about the gospel: “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved...” 3 things:

Christians must be reminded of the gospel. How often we live as though the gospel weren’t such good news! We must be reminded of the gospel.

We often fall into the trap of feeling sorry for ourselves, adding to our miseries by thinking that life is giving us worse than we deserve. But the gospel reminds us that apart from Christ, we deserve the wrath of God.

We often fail to live in the joy that Jesus really is just around the corner, about to return and make His home with us forever. But the gospel reminds us that God has been faithful to fulfill hundreds of promises concerning the Messiah, the serpent bruiser, the seed of Abraham, the Lion of Judah, the Son of David. He will fulfill His promise to make His home with us.

We often struggle to forgive those who hurt us. But the gospel reminds us that we who have been forgiven much must be those who love much and are willing to forgive as we are forgiven. Let’s say that all debts were settled—Those who offended you had to make things right, and you had to make things right with everyone you have offended. Would you come out better off? You might, until it came to restoring to God the debts You owe to Him. Then the way of forgiveness becomes a very sweet deal for you.

We often fail to pray as we should. But the gospel reminds us that we are children of our Heavenly Father, and He is a Father who loves to feel His children tug on His sleeve, asking for what they need.

We often fail to love one another as we should. But the gospel reminds us that Jesus paid the price to make us one, even as He and the Father are one.

We often fail to recognize our own value and beauty. And while that value and beauty doesn’t add up to much apart from Jesus, the gospel reminds us that Jesus has given to us the glory that the Father gave to Him. We may not fully see that glory yet, but you can’t see your earthly house right now, either. The glory that Jesus has purchased for you is yours more surely than the home that you live in belongs to you.

Christians stand in the gospel. How often we get knocked off balance in this life! We must stand firm in the gospel.

We often feel the weight of this life pressing on our shoulders—so many responsibilities, so many disappointments, so many aches of body and soul, and we feel like crumpling to our knees. But the gospel points us to the Man of Sorrows, acquainted with griefs. We remembered what He suffered for us, and we say, “Whatever it is, Lord, You are worth it.” And we remain standing.

We often hear the world mocking our faith. Though they use arguments that have far less support than the ideas they are shooting down, we feel the pressure to stumble. But the gospel is so sweet and so grounded in historical fact that its beauty and its truth set us upright, so that we are able to live by 1 Corinthians 16:13 “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.”

Christians are being saved by the gospel.

We often hear the siren song tempting us to make shipwreck of our lives. The things of the world call to us, appealing to our desire for distracting creature comforts, our desire forbidden pleasures, and our desire to be highly esteemed. But the gospel sings a song that appeals to deeper longings and satisfies us without the hidden rocks and razor-sharp reefs that will destroy us. In fact, the pleasures of the gospel build us into the creatures God designed us to be.

We often approach God in weakness, asking for His forgiveness, wondering if He is tired of having to put up with us yet another time. But in the gospel, we are reminded that He is lovingly, delightedly growing us. Those whom God “foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that [Jesus] might be the firstborn among many brothers.” The sins we struggle with now are not the same as those we struggled with years ago. The love we have for Him is sweeter, more informed, and more stable than it was in the past. We are being transformed from one degree of glory to another.

So you can see why Paul would want the Colossians to let the gospel, the word of Christ, dwell in them richly. The word of Christ is not to be a temporary house guest. It is a permanent resident, greeted each morning, welcomed at every meal and conversation, and lovingly acknowledged as we close our eyes at night. But what does it look like for us, Pathway, to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly? Paul provides two statements to explain; one addresses our corporate worship, and the other addresses your individual walk.

Our Worship

“teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

We let the word of Christ dwell in us richly by teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom.

You can’t see it in English, but in Paul’s Greek words, you can see that Paul is up to something interesting here. In Colossians 1:28, Paul wrote of his own ministry alongside Timothy, “[Christ] we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.” The Greek word translated as warning in 1:28 is the same word that is translated as admonishing in 3:16. Therefore, Paul intends to pass his own ministry on to the congregation. The ministry that he had to teach and warn with all wisdom, he now gives to the congregation, to teach and warn one another in all wisdom.

It makes sense, then, to conclude that Paul’s reason for warning and teaching everyone with all wisdom should also be your reason for warning and teaching one another in all wisdom. The reason is to present one another mature in Christ. But how can you warn others when you are unaware of the dangers? How can you teach others when you are ignorant of truth? How can you do any of this in all wisdom while you live as a fool?

Here is a vision for you: One year from now you will be more equipped than ever to help your fellow church members grow in Christ. Here is the challenge for you: Do what it takes to become more aware of the dangers of this life, to become more knowledgeable of truth, and more wise than you have ever been. Dedicate yourself to prayer, to the study of God’s word, and to obedience. And don’t just do it for yourself. Do it for your brothers and sisters in this congregation. If you are stronger, you will strengthen me. If I am stronger, I will be more able to strengthen you. We must let the word of Christ dwell in us richly by teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom.

When will you do this work of wise warning and teaching? In small group lessons with discussion. In conversations after the service. In texts with one another throughout the week. In meals shared together. And maybe during a service. Mike & I have invited you to let us know if you have something you would like to share for the benefit of the congregation, and we are serious. Of course, Mike and I will continue to do our best to fill our gatherings with wise words of warning and teaching from the scriptures. But spoken words are not the only means of letting the word of Christ dwell in us.

We let the word of Christ dwell in us richly by singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. We see here that we should sing together, and what should we sing? A variety of things, old and new, all of which must contribute to the goal of letting the word of Christ dwell in us richly. What a beautiful gift God has given us in the gift of music!

Music expresses our corporate unity as unique individual voices combine to share the word of Christ in song.

Music appeals to our emotions, as words appeal to our minds. When the two are combined (moving melodies and wondrous words), music becomes a means to let truth sink deep within us.

In congregational church music, we see horizontal and vertical relationships enjoyed at the same time. We simultaneously express our connection with one another horizontally (by singing to one another) and our connection with God vertically (by singing to Him). A parallel passage that Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus says, “be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart...”

This is why we need to hear one another’s voices when we sing.

This is why we must always think about the lyrics we sing.

This is why we must sing from the heart, not just the from the mind or from mindless tradition.

Our songs are to be sung with thankfulness in our hearts to God. And if what we are singing is, in fact, the word of Christ—if it is the glory of the gospel celebrated by those who know the gospel to be the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes—then thankfulness will truly abound, and gratitude will mark all that we do.

Your Walk

“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

With this statement about whatever we do, Paul doesn’t conclude only this paragraph; he concludes an entire section of this letter, a section that began in Chapter 2, verse 6, which is the last time Paul used the word Jesus. In this section, Paul has instructed the church to get their doctrine right and to live out that doctrine as a community.

This transitional sentence sets up the next section of the letter, which is about the conduct of households. And the transitional sentence bridges corporate identity and individual responsibility.

As a church, Colossian Christians were to be a people who did everything in the name of the Lord Jesus. And as they did everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, they were to be giving thanks to God the Father through him. May that be true of us, Pathway.

Likewise, each individual member was to do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, and as each person spoke and acted in Jesus’ name, each was to give thanks to God the Father through Jesus. May that be true of each of us, Pathway.

Doing everything in the name of the Lord Jesus is a powerful paradigm that helps answer thousands of practical questions in the Christian life. [Cringe at the question “Is it okay for a Christian to ____?” A much better question would be, “Is this the best I can do to glorify God?”]

Biblically, what does it mean to do something in the name of the Lord Jesus? It means to do something for the purpose of showing off the worth of Jesus. It means to be motivated by a desire to see Jesus glorified.

1 Corinthians 10:31 “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

Healing: Acts 4:29–30 “And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

Preaching: Acts 9:27 “But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus.”

Baptism: Acts 19:5 “On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.”

Suffering: Acts 21:13 Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

How would your life be different if every word that you spoke and everything you did came from a desire to show off Jesus’ worth?

How would this affect the conversations you have with people? the relationships you have with family members? the relationships you have with fellow Christians? the relationships you have with lost people? the way you spend your free time? the way you spend your money?

And this leaves me with the task of asking you a series of questions regarding what you truly believe.

Do you believe that all things were created through Jesus and for Jesus?

Do you believe that according to the Father’s plan, Jesus shed His blood on the cross to reconcile you to Himself?

Do you believe that the Holy Spirit raised Jesus from the dead?

Do you believe that one day you will see Jesus face to face?

Do you believe that in judgment Jesus will present you holy and blameless and above reproach?

Is Jesus worthy to be the motivation for everything you say and do?

Then let’s stop piddling around with the junk of this world and live as if Jesus is worth everything, as if He is the treasure buried in the field, as if He is the beginning and the end, as if all of God’s promises find their “YES!” in Him, as if He truly is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, as if God has actually exalted Him and given Him the name that is above every name, as if He is the one before whom every knee will bow, whether in heaven or on earth or under the earth.

As for the junk that is holding you back from doing all that you do in the name of Jesus, it is not worth a second glance. Declare it to be a pitiful distraction from the glory of Your Jesus. While a dog might return to its vomit, may you never return to those things that distract you from Jesus Christ.

What we are talking about here is the freedom that comes from having a pure heart, a heart that seeks only one thing: the glory of your Lord. And as you walk in that freedom, you will often marvel that the Father has given you such grace as to live out this life. You will marvel that you get to be a part of His eternal plan, and you will give thanks to God our Father through the Son.

Communion