What Must I Do?

WHAT MUST I DO?

(ESV)

INTRODUCTION:

THIS MORNING, IN LIGHT OF WHAT WE HAVE EXPERIENCED OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, I FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO ANSWER A QUESTION THAT I BELIEVE SELDOM IS ASKED IN THE CHURCH ANY MORE.

THE QUESTION IS “WHAT SHOULD I DO?”

NOW LET ME GIVE YOU THE CONTEXT OF THE QUESTION.

WE HAVE JUST EXPERIENCED A REMARKABLE MOVING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND WE WITNESSED ITS EFFECT THIS MORNING AS THESE WERE BAPTIZED…

BUT THE DANGER WE FACE IS JUST THINKING THAT THAT WAS A REALLY NICE THNG THAT HAPPENED…

WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS RECOGNIZE THAT WE ARE NOW RESPONSIBLE TO THESE PEOPLE TO HELP THEM GROW IN THEIR NEWFOUND FAITH…

SO WHAT ARE WE TO DO?

TURN WITH ME TO THE BOOK OF COLOSSIANS, BECAUSE IN CHAPTER 3, AND VERSES 12 THROUGH 17, PAUL GIVES US A GREAT OUTLINE OF WHAT IS EXPECTED OF US AS BELIEVERS, AND IT POINTS US TO SEVERAL THINGS WE ARE EXPECTED TO DO IN RELATION TO OTHER BELIEVERS…

STAND – READ – PRAY

LET ME POINT OUT A FEW THINGS WE ARE EXPECTED TO DO, AS IT RELATES TO OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER BELIEVERS…

AND ESPECIALLY, I BELIEVE, AS IT RELATES TO OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH AND RESPONSIBILITY TO THESE NEW BELIEVERS…

HERE’S THE FIRST ONE…

1. BEAR WITH THEM AND MODEL FORGIVENESS.

a. - 12 PUT ON THEN, AS GOD’S CHOSEN ONES, HOLY AND BELOVED, COMPASSIONATE HEARTS, KINDNESS, HUMILITY, MEEKNESS, AND PATIENCE, 13 BEARING WITH ONE ANOTHER AND, IF ONE HAS A COMPLAINT AGAINST ANOTHER, FORGIVING EACH OTHER; AS THE LORD HAS FORGIVEN YOU, SO YOU ALSO MUST FORGIVE.

i. IF YOU PUT ON COMPASSIONATE HEARTS, KINDNESS, HUMILITY, MEEKNESS, AND PATIENCE, YOU WILL BE WELL-EQUIPPED TO BEAR WITH OTHER BELIEVERS.

ii. IF YOU DO NOT PUT ON THESE THINGS, YOU WILL FIND IT VERY DIFFICULT TO BEAR WITH OTHERS…

1. AND OTHERS MIGHT FIND IT DIFFICULT TO BEAR WITH YOU…

b. WHAT I WANT YOU TO NOTICE IS THAT ALL THESE ATTRIBUTES ARE POSITIVE IN NATURE…

i. AND THE TENDENCY OF SOME IS TO SAY, “WELL, I JUST DON’T HAVE MUCH PATIENCE…” OR “I’M NOT REALLY A COMPASSIONATE PERSON…IT’S NOT ONE OF MY GIFTS…”

ii. AND TO THAT PERSON, I’D SAY, “YOU’RE RIGHT!”

iii. PATIENCE AND COMPASSION ARE NOT SPIRITUAL GIFTS…

iv. THEY ARE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER TRAITS…

c. AND PAUL IS NOT GIVING THE COLOSSIAN BELIEVERS – AND BELIEVERS TODAY BY EXTENSION – THE OPTION TO CHOOSE WHICH OF THESE CHARACTER TRAITS TO PUT ON…

d. HE’S SAYING, “PUT ALL THESE ON…”

e. IT’S NOT A SUGGESTION…IT’S AN EXPECTATION…

f. WHY IS THAT?

i. BECAUSE ALL THESE TRAITS ARE TRAITS THAT JESUS MODELED…

ii. AND HE EXPECTS US TO POSSESS THEM, AND TO HELP OTHERS ACQUIRE THESE TRAITS…

g. SO ONE OF OUR RESPONSIBILITIES IS TO BEAR WITH THESE NEW BELIEVERS, EXERCISING COMPASSION, AND KINDNESS, AND HUMILITY, AND MEEKNESS, AND PATIENCE…

h. AND TO TEACH THEM FORGIVENESS BY GRANTING FORGIVENESS…

i. BUT PAUL DOESN’T STOP HERE…

j. WE ALSO SEE IN THIS PASSAGE THAT WE ARE TO…

2. LOVE THEM AND BE EXAMPLES OF PEACE AND THANKFULNESS.

a. - 14 AND ABOVE ALL THESE PUT ON LOVE, WHICH BINDS EVERYTHING TOGETHER IN PERFECT HARMONY. 15 AND LET THE PEACE OF CHRIST RULE IN YOUR HEARTS, TO WHICH INDEED YOU WERE CALLED IN ONE BODY. AND BE THANKFUL.

i. ABOVE ALL THESE, PUT ON LOVE.

ii. WHY?

1. BECAUSE LOVE BINDS EVERYTHING TOGETHER IN PERFECT HARMONY.

2. IT IS LOVE THAT ENABLES US TO OVERLOOK THE FAULTS OF OTHERS.

3. IT IS LOVE THAT ENABLES US TO FORGIVE.

iii. AND WE ARE TO BE RULED BY THE PEACE OF CHRIST…

iv. WHY IS THIS AN IMPORTANT PHRASE?

1. BECAUSE OUR ENEMY TEMPTS US TO BE RULED BY THE CHAOS OF THE WORLD…

b. AND THE TRUTH IS THAT MANY WHO CLAIM THE NAME OF JESUS ARE RULED BY THE CHAOS OF THE WORLD…

i. WE ARE CALLED TO RUN INTO THE CHAOS WITH THE MESSAGE OF PEACE…

ii. HOW MANY OF YOU REMEMBER THIS VIDEO?

iii. OUR FOLKS WATCHING ON FACEBOOK LIVE WON’T BE ABLE TO SEE IT, BUT THEY’LL PROBABLY RECOGNIZE IT WHEN I TALK ABOUT IT…

iv. ISN’T THAT A GREAT VIDEO?

1. KINDA MAKES YOU WANT TO ENLIST…

2. DID YOU NOTICE WHAT THE NARRATOR SAID?

a. THERE ARE A FEW WHO ARE READY TO RESPOND AT A MOMENTS NOTICE…

b. WHO ARE THE FIRST TO RUN TOWARD TYRANNY, INJUSTICE, AND DESPAIR…

c. WHO ARE FORGED IN THE CRUCIBLE OF TRAINING…

3. THESE SAME THINGS COULD BE SAID, NO, SHOULD BE SAID ABOUT CHRIST-FOLLOWERS…

c. WE ARE TO LOVE PEOPLE…

i. PEOPLE WHO ARE OPPRESSED AND IN DESPAIR…

ii. AND WE ARE TO MODEL THE CHRISTIAN FAITH BEFORE THEM.

iii. AND WE ARE TO POINT TO THE CHRIST AS THE BEACON OF HOPE FOR THOSE WHO DESPERATELY NEED HOPE…

iv. AND THEN, WE ARE TO DO ONE MORE THING…

3. DISCIPLE THEM.

a. - 16 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. 17 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.

b. DISCIPLING SOMEONE IS MUCH MORE THAN JUST POURING INSTRUCTION INTO THEM.

i. DISCIPLING IN THE BIBLICAL SENSE INVOLVES ACTIVELY PARTICIPATING IN SOMEONE ELSE’S LIFE.

ii. THE MARINES CALL IT THE CRUCIBLE OF TRAINING…

iii. A CRUCIBLE IS DEFINED AS “A CERAMIC OR METAL CONTAINER IN WHICH METALS OR OTHER SUBSTANCES MAY BE MELTED OR SUBJECTED TO VERY HIGH TEMPERATURES.”

c. DISCIPLESHIP – TRUE DISCIPLESHIP – TAKES PLACE WHEN A PERSON WALKS THROUGH THE FIRE WITH ANOTHER…

d. BETTER YET, LEADS ANOTHER THROUGH THE FIRE…

e. IT’S MORE THAN MERE INSTRUCTION…IT IS DEMONSTRATION…

f. WE ARE CALLED TO BEAR WITH, FORGIVE, LOVE, AND DISCIPLE NEW BELIEVERS, WITH HEARTS OF COMPASSION, KINDNESS, HUMILITY, MEEKNESS, AND PATIENCE…ALL THE WHILE DISPLAYING THE PEACE OF CHRIST WITH THANKFUL HEARTS…

g. THAT WHAT WE CANDO FOR THESE NEW BELIEVERS…

CONCLUSION:

BUT THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN BE PART OF THIS PROCESS IS TO KNOW CHRIST PERSONALLY YOURSELF…

AND MAYBE THIS MORNING, YOU CAME HERE BECAUSE ONE OF THESE WERE BEING BAPTIZED, AND YOU FELT LIKE YOU NEEDED TO BE HERE FOR THEM, BUT IN REALITY, YOU NEEDED TO BE HERE FOR YOU…

MAYBE THIS MORNING, YOU NEED TO DO WHAT THESE FOLKS HAVE MODELED FOR US THIS MORNING…

YOU NEED TO COME TO SAVING FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST…

HE’S THE ONLY ANSWER TO THE CHAOS IN YOUR LIFE…

HE ALONE CAN BRING AND END TO YOUR DESPAIR…

AND HE DESPERATELY WANTS TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU.