What Not To Wear
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 2 viewsNotes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
What Not to Wear
We started a series last week called TV Guide: A Guide to Life. And what we are doing is looking at a collection of popular Television show and kind of dissecting them. Looking at what makes them popular, and looking at the themes and messages inherent in them and shedding Biblical light on some of these themes.
Jesus would often take simple everyday things and teach a lesson based on them. I cannot think of a more everyday thing than Television.
average person watches more than 4 hours of TV each day If he or she keeps that up, in a 65-year life, that person will have spent 9 years glued to the tube.
So I think it is safe to say that TV is a part of our everyday lives.
David started us off last week with LOST, and today we are going to take a look at the ideas behind the show What Not to Wear.
Who can tell me the names of the two hosts?
It is basically this.
The hosts of the show Stacey and Clinton (I think those are their names) are sent letters and video footage of thousands of people across Amercia who believe that their friends or loved one is in desparate need of a make over.
After sifting through these letters and videos, they find a victim. Then they set up a trap. They have the individual believe that they are going to be meeting friends for lunch, or they just walk into their work, or they will be at some sports event and have all the cameras turn on them and the ywill announce, “Hi, I’m Clinton, and I’m Stacy and we are from TLCs What Not to Wear. And we are here for you”
They tell them that they’re fashion sense is deplorable They’re an embarrassment to society, their family, their friends, and their dog, they’re all embarrassed.
And if it is not enough that they’ve just been labelled a fashion freak, they then make them watch footage of you from the previous week and rip apart every choice they made clothing wise that week.
They make them stand in their 360 mirror. Where people are given few moments to justify their current clothing choice before the hosts come in and tear apart their argument.
“I wear this one to work”
“This is my Friday night out with the ladies”
“This is my Sunday outfit”
And inevitably they were all too ugly for Clinton and Stacey and are thrown out.
And this is important; The they take that person and they say, “For what you are, For who you are, for where you are at in life, you have been wearing the wrong clothing.”
.
So they take them, they walk them through some rules about the kind of clothing that fits them best, which looks right with their body shape, they take them to a salon where they get their haircut, or some of them just need a comb pulled through their hair, they get their make up done.
And after all this suffering, being told how bad their choices have been in the past, the embarrassment of knowing that your family and friends have been talking behind your back about how pathetic you are in your fashion choices, we come to the end of the show.
All the friends and family who betrayed you are now anxiously waiting in a restaurant or a home to see the new person. It is cheesy, Disney-esque, Amazing Race slow motion waving them in kind of ending.
And there is crying and hugging, there is usually a spouse going “yeah” They don’t say anything, because throughout the episode they’ve said that they loved their spouse just the way they are, but now their like alright.
For 80 % or 90 % the person is usually fighting the process.
“I like my jacket with 50 pins of 80s bands on it,
I like my hammer pants,
I like may florescent band-aid pants from the late 80’s. (If you can’t picture that, I’m sure I can find a picture somewhere of myself in 89)
And I have to say some people are freakishly attached to these clothes. It’s like they have a hold on them.
And it is a painful process for many.
But in the end they are always thankful for having gone through the process.
That’s it in a nutshell
First- they try to help the person identify who they really are and how their clothes need to reflect who they are not cover it up.
Second, they get rid of (and destroy) everything in their wardrobe that doesn’t reflect who that person really is.
Third, the dress the person in a whole new wardrobe based on principles that are designed to reflect who they truly are.
That is what we are going to talk about today.
Imagine – what if someone followed you around for a few days with a video camera, without you knowing it, and videotaped your lifestyle at work, school, at home, in your neighbourhood, and the other places you go that most people don’t know about.
Now we chose one of you, one from each service and without you knowing, we followed you around for a week, everywhere that you went. So you don’t know who you are, but let’s role the footage.
Today we are going to look at , because Paul who formulated much of the theology of the early church has some of the same things to say to us, as Clinton and Stacy have to say to their lucky guests. But if we miss Paul’s message it is far more than a fashion fopa at stake.
READ
12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
1 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. 3 For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.
5 So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. 6 Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. 7 You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. 8 But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. 9 Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. 10 Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. 11 In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.
12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
Pray
READ TEXT
Pray
2003-2013 Years back there was a show called What Not to Wear.
Who can tell me the names of the two hosts?
It is basically this.
It was one of those shows on the TLC network that peole said was stupid but then they watched episode after episode.
The hosts of the show Stacey London and Clinton Kelly(I think those are their names) would meet up with a fashion challenged person.
After sifting through these letters and videos, they find a victim. Then they set up a trap. They have the individual believe that they are going to be meeting friends for lunch, or they just walk into their work, or they will be at some sports event and have all the cameras turn on them and the ywill announce, “Hi, I’m Clinton, and I’m Stacy and we are from TLCs What Not to Wear. And we are here for you”
They tell them that they’re fashion sense is deplorable They’re an embarrassment to society, their family, their friends, and their dog, they’re all embarrassed.
They make them stand in their 360 mirror. Where people are given few moments to justify their current clothing choice before the hosts come in and tear apart their argument.
“I wear this one to work”
“This is my Friday night out with the ladies”
“This is my Sunday outfit”
And inevitably they were all too ugly for Clinton and Stacey and are thrown out.
And this is important; The they take that person and they say, “For what you are, For who you are, for where you are at in life, you have been wearing the wrong clothing.”
So they take them, they walk them through some rules about the kind of clothing that fits them best, which looks right with their body shape, they take them to a salon where they get their haircut, or some of them just need a comb pulled through their hair, they get their make up done.
All the friends and family who betrayed you are now anxiously waiting in a restaurant or a home to see the new person. It is cheesy, Disney-esque, Amazing Race slow motion waving them in kind of ending.
For 80 % or 90 % the person is usually fighting the process.
“I like my jacket with 50 pins of 80s bands on it,
I like my hammer pants,
I like may florescent band-aid pants from the late 80’s. (If you can’t picture that, I’m sure I can find a picture somewhere of myself in 89)
And I have to say some people are freakishly attached to these clothes. It’s like they have a hold on them.
And what he’s doing in this letter to a young church, is giving the nuts and bolts of Christianity
And it is a painful process for many.
But in the end they are always thankful for having gone through the process.
That’s it in a nutshell.
In Paul is saying something similar.
He is saying listen there were spiritual clothes you used to wear.
They don’t suit who you are.
That ....
As a New Creation in Christ, we are called to a New Community wearing New Clothes.
As a society we expect people in certain roles to dress and present themselves in certain ways. Doctors, lawyers, pastors, etc.
If I went in to meet my surgeon and out came this guys, and he told me he was going to be working on my insides. He may not instil the confidence that I would like in someone who is going to cut me open and work on my insides.
It is time for them to be tossed.
If I go to try out a new dentist and he walks out to greet me, I want to see some good looking teeth. If this guy shows up and flashes me this smile, I will find the nearest exit
It is the same for you and I who call ourselves “raised with Christ”
Paul wants to be sure that we are dressed in a manner that best displays our position in Christ, and in order to do so he tosses all flowery language out the window. He is not concerned with eloquence, he wants to make his point and he wants to make it strong.
PUT TO DEATH he says in verse 5 whatever belongs to your earthly nature.
Paul is saying open up your wardrobe, all those things that don’t fit your new nature, that do not fit your life in Christ trash ‘em. No more excuses, just lose em.
It is time for them to be tossed.
So when you catch your reflection in the mirror, and you see that the clothes you used to wear no longer fit properly, toss them!!
When I was exercising, and lost a few pounds, I did something that many do in that situation, I took the clothes that were baggy and gave them away.
I bought new clothes that properly fit me.
Paul says, those clothes you used to wear are not needed they are taking up room and they are a left over wardrobe from your dead self.
Stop dressing your corpse!!
Dress your new creation!!
I. New Creation (vv. 1-4)
1 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. 3 For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.
Col 3:
So our life is found in Christ it says in verse 4.
One day he will return and you will share in all his glory.
That is talk about a massive party. A massive celebration coming at the return of Christ.
Paul is saying start dressing for this event!
As you have been raised to NEW life looking forward to THIS event, this future, put on the appropriate clothes!!
One day 23 years ago, I stood at the front of Bethany Baptist Church in Vancouver.
I walked into the front of the sanctuary, to a four string quartet playing the Emperors March from Star Wars.....(jealous?)
And as I looked down the aisle , I saw the most beautiful woman in the world walking toward me.
She rightly so, wore a beautiful Cinderella inspired dress. It was appropriate.
It would have been odd if in this sacred beautiful moment I looked down the aisle and saw my wife wearing raincoat, with Spongebob t-shirt and flip flops!
Paul is saying that as we are one with Christ there is appropriate clothing to be worn.
So, grab all the clothing that does not make sense for one who has been raised to new life and start placing on yourself spiritual clothing that reflects your new life.
Why?
Because our old clothing is the clothing of death!! The clothing belongs in the tomb with our old self. They are funeral clothes!
These used to be the things that our lives were attached to, but not our lives are attached to Christ. Hidden Paul says.
the Greeks often spoke of those who had passed away and were buried as being “hidden in the earth”- Paul is using the language of death, but we’re are not hidden in the earth, we are hidden in Christ. The word hidden doesn’t just mean we are out of sight, it implies that we are waiting until the right time. The time when all that we were created to be, all that Christ has done for us will be evident as we are revealed in glory.
Dress for THAT day, not the past.
vv. 5-11
Cut loose, these ill-fitting clothes, throw them in the bin and burn them.
5 So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. 6 Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. 7 You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world.
Col 3:5
5 So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. 6 Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. 7 You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. 8 But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. 9 Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds.
5 So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. 6 Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. 7 You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. 8 But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. 9 Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. 10 Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.
5 So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. 6 Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. 7 You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. 8 But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. 9 Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. 10 Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. 11 In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.
So this is a massive list. A list from an old criminal rap sheet, that no longer describes you, because you are in Christ.
It used to be that these were the only things you had to find identity and belonging, and we thought it came through worshiping the things of this world. v5
The reason we can put these to death is because we no longer worship the things of this world.
The way that sexual immorality connects itself to us is if we are devoting ourselves to a life of worshipping the things of the world. Bowing first to the things of the world, then giving what is left to Jesus. That will always mean that we are keeping some of our old clothes in the closet to try on.
Verse 6 says that the anger of God is coming because of these things.
That sexual immorality (sexuality outside of God’s ethic), lust- the removal of the personhood from the sexual act.
As Pope John Paul II put it...
“In short, the problem with pornography is not that it shows too much of the person, but that it shows far too little.”
And that is the basis of every biblical warning against sin; it stunts or denies human flourishing.
That is why it angers God. v.6
When humanity is diminished to desires, and many take advantage of this fact, to make money at the cost of someone’s personhood, ones humanity, it righty angers God.
And so without attaching ourselves to Christ, we are in danger of God’s right judgement on the matter.
Paul says you do not belong to that culture anymore, that is the culture of the world.
There was a time when that made sense!!
There was a time when sexual immorality, greed, lust, made sense, but but they don’t anymore!!
Now is the time to get rid of that.
“be renewed as you learn to know your creator and become like Him” v.10
10 Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.
I mentioned my marriage.
When we were married, we made a commitment we didn’t fully understand, when we said that we belonged to each and each other alone.
The longer we have been married the more we have understood marriage. The more we have put away our life before we were married.
We have “put on” marriage more and more every day!
We say no to other things for the sake of our relationship.
We say no to certain things for the sake of our family as a whole.
We put one the new nature of commitment as we know each other more.
We take on each other’s characteristics, we have shared experiences, we try to sing the same harmonies when we are driving in the car and singing Ben Rector.
When we play games as a family we make memories and laugh at inside jokes we have accumulated over the years.
We are one!! We share a common history and unity because we have learned “to know each other” over the years.
If I spend less time with my wife, my kids, over time I will be tempted to live less like a married man and less like a father. To put back on the clothe of individualism.
Paul says the way to throw off these old ragged clothes and put on new ones, is to spend time with your Creator.
There is no other way to accomplish new life. No short cuts.
In my life I have had to work to take those parts of my life that fight against my being a good father, a good husband and replace them with new disciplines that bring health to my wife, children and myself.
Paul is saying hey, as new creation you are part of a new community that has put individualism aside and now looks to live for others.
II. New Community (vv. 9, 11)
9 Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds.
11 In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.
9 Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. 10 Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. 11 In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.
Imagine the talk that would go in a community as these people are walking out into the streets if the city together. Grabbing a lunch together. It would have confused people to see Jews and Gentiles, people considered less a than human, all hanging out together. But they were not just united in acceptance they were united in the new kind of morality that they lived out. Not forced on them by law, but lives out of their hearts in appreciation and affection.
As we’ve mentioned before there is not other environment quite like a church, (I mean you know, look around) when it is done correctly. It is a place where different ethnicities, different cultures, different social classes can meet under Christ and not see these things as issues for division.
That was not always the case. Greeks had reasons to not sit with Jews, Jews had reasons to not sit with Greeks, neither of them likes the Barbarians, and the worst of the barbarians were the Scythians; a group of people believed to be sub-human and more animal than man.
Imagine – what if someone followed you around for a few days with a video camera, without you knowing it, and videotaped your lifestyle at work, school, at home, in your neighbourhood, and the other places you go that most people don’t know about.
Now we chose one of you, one from each service and without you knowing, we followed you around for a week, everywhere that you went. So you don’t know who you are, but let’s role the footage.
Today we are going to look at , because Paul who formulated much of the theology of the early church has some of the same things to say to us, as Clinton and Stacy have to say to their lucky guests. But if we miss Paul’s message it is far more than a fashion fopa at stake.
His main point throughout is Jesus- because in Jesus the fullness of God dwells
It is all about Jesus
_____________________________________________________
And Paul is explaining to them that when you get Jesus in your life things ought to change- in fact a changed life is one of the greatest testimonies to who Jesus is
One of the signs of a community infused with the Spirit of God, is that there is no more division.
Its is simply about leaving your old self behind. It s all about gaining a new mindset and trashing the old.
And this is where we pick up,
And the first thing Paul wants to make sure is that his listeners are in the right headspace.
I. Being in the right headspace Vv.1-4
He says in verse one, that you’ve been raised with Christ, so set your heart on things above, where Christ is seated, at the right hand of God. Set you mind on things above, not on earthly things.
Paul says that if you are a follower of Christ. If you have come to a point in your life where you call yourself saved, delivered, etc. If you claim you are following Christ.
set you mind on things above.
The second you claim Jesus as your own, You have just been given a new set of marching orders. Your job description just changed.
Have your heart you mind on Christ.
The things that once seems so important, and are important to the rest of the world, should no longer dictate the actions of one who has their heart on the things of Christ.
They will set giving above getting, serving above ruling, forgiving above avenging. The standard of values for Christians will be God’s not the worlds.
Notice that Paul is saying you have already been raised with Christ. In the spiritual realm you are already there. You are not working to gain a position with God. If you are a Christian, you’ve placed your faith in Jesus for that. It is done.
Now you are trying to line your behaviour up with what is already a reality in the spiritual realm.
Why? Because we no longer belong to the world. We belong to Christ. We are hidden in Christ Paul says. That’s kind of strange language.
v.3 “your life is now hidden with Christ in God and when Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory”
What does it mean that our life is hidden with Christ? And what does it mean that when Christ appears, I will appear too?
Let’s dissect that a bit.
the Greeks often spoke of those who had passed away and were buried as being “hidden in the earth”- Paul is using the language of death, but we’re are not hidden in the earth, we are hidden in Christ. The word hidden doesn’t just mean we are out of sight, it implies that we are waiting until the right time. The time when all that we were created to be, all that Christ has done for us will be evident as we are revealed in glory.
Now the question is if we do not have life until Jesus returns, if we will only truly appear only when Christ returns in glory who are we until then?
The answer to that question is simple, but unpopular.
You are nobody!
Your whole identity is Christ.
But we don’t like that, so we would rather manufacture identity than allow Christ to increase in us.
The language of the Bible does not leave room for fighting this mindset.
When Paul says in Galatians that He no longer lives, but Christ lives in him, that is exactly what he is talking about.
From now on it is all about Jesus.
Cause I gotta tell you, without Jesus, we’re not so great.
If we keep trying to make it about us, we are in trouble. If we as a people don’t rely on Jesus, we’re in trouble.
If what we are doing as believers, as the church doesn't have Christ in it, it is just moralism, not Christianity.
We do not preach a Jesus who is here simply to better you. To improve your marriage, or make work bearable, make you a better dad, whatever. That will all happen as a result, but the point of Christ is , He is here to save you. From sin and death and from yourself and from an eternity far away from him.
All your significance is held in the person of Jesus.
He IS our life.
That means a few things-
1)is that God does not define us by what we have done –good or bad- it cannot be seen, because we are hidden in Christ.- it is no longer me living but Christ in me
2) we must not define ourselves by what we can do or attain. You will identify yourself by Christ and what he has done.
3)it also means that we will not fully realize who we are until Christ returns- we will not only see Christ as he truly is, we will see ourselves as we truly are.
So let me ask you …..What do you live for?
Because we will only be living a half life, if we do not live in the light of the fact that our life is hidden in Christ.
The fact that He is our life also means
4) that we are ambassadors- we are called to represent our heavenly home
Canada has well over 100 embassies all over the world. An embassy is where an ambassador from one country to another resides and works. One of the neat things about an embassy is that it is considered foreign soil. Even if it is located in the middle of Madagascar, the Canadian embassy is considered part of Canada. The land belongs to the country where the embassy is located, but is governed by the laws of the home country not the country where it resides. Those who work in the embassy represent their country in a foreign land.
The church (capital C) is full of ambassadors for the kingdom of God. That’s why Paul calls us ambassadors of Christ making an appeal for people to join the kingdom in .
Pause
In light of that. In the understanding of who we are in Christ. In light of the fact that we need to reflect our heavenly standing by how we live here and now….
Paul tells us that we need to get rid of a few things.
Getting rid of what we need to get rid of Vv. 5-11
There are attitudes and influences that have no place in our lives. Because they steal life!
If I went in to meet my surgeon and out came this guys, and he told me he was going to be working on my insides. He may not instil the confidence that I would like in someone who is going to cut me open and work on my insides.
If I go to try out a new dentist and he walks out to greet me, I want to see some good looking teeth. If this guy shows up and flashes me this smile, I will find the nearest exit
If I walk into a hair salon and I see this family walking out. I will be getting back in my car.
This slide was actually labelled “Child Abuse”, and as far as I can tell it is authentic.
It is the same for you and I who call ourselves “raised with Christ”
Paul wants to be sure that we are dressed in a manner that best displays our position in Christ, and in order to do so he tosses all flowery language out the window. He is not concerned with eloquence, he wants to make his point and he wants to make it strong.
PUT TO DEATH he says in verse 5 whatever belongs to your earthly nature.
Paul is saying open up your wardrobe, all those things that don’t fit your new nature, that do not fit your life in Christ trash ‘em. No more excuses, just lose em.
Put to death—slaughter what is earthly in you---because it is no longer you. You have moved on. It is now against the make-up of your spiritual DNA
But how do we do that?
What have you tried?
As one theologian has put it
Christians must kill self-centredness and regard as dead all private desires and ambitions. In their lives, there must be a radical transformation of the will and a radical shift of the centre. Everything which would keep them from fully obeying God and fully surrendering to Christ must be surgically removed.
Now there is a problem with that…surgery is hard. It is delicate, and it is difficult. It takes a steady hand. It takes patience, it takes time.
Plus, For many of us, you take away our habits, you take away our behaviour, and we fear there will be nothing left. Paul would say the only thing you will have left is Jesus.
Now what would be great here, is if Paul would have just left it there for us to figure out what that means to put to death our earthly nature. If he could just leave it to us to decide what that might mean. To decide what parts of our earthly nature we need to trash.
It would be a lot less convicting.
But Paul does not even take his time and build up to it. He let’s the first punch fly and nails us between the eyes. He puts us in the 360 mirror and reveals our old tattered out of date wardrobe.
v.5 sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.
He starts out wide and then moves into the root of the problem. Sexual immorality, but not just sexual immorality, impurity of any kind, using your body for anything that rots you out, then on to lust, the unrelenting longing for gratification. But not just that, let’s get closer to the root. Because lust is just a part of a deeper problem; evil desire- wanting things, you have no right to want. But that’s not all, finally he says greed, which is idolatry.
In other words this is an issue between you and God.
the Greek word for greed or covetousness is (pleonexia) and ancient Greeks used to describe it to mean a desire which cannot be satisfied. They said that trying to satisfy pleonexia is like trying to fill with water a bowl that has a hole in it.
PAUSE
Some of us spend the majority of our time (Some of us spent hours this week, trying to fill bowls, wondering why we never have a sense of getting there, a sense of satisfaction.)
And we find our selves lamenting like McJagger wondering why we never feel satisfied.
We’re trying to fill bowls that have holes in them. Rather than allowing the living water of Jesus Christ to fill us up.
Paul calls such a desire idolatry- something has taken the place of God. It is no longer Thy will, but My will.
PAUSE
Paul says in v.6 that it is 6Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these
In other words- it is all this stuff that holds you back from knowing and serving Jesus. From living true life. And God obliterated it all with the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus. Why would you run after those things that Jesus gave up everything to save you from.
It’s falling into a cess pool, getting were pulled out, bathed and cleaned off, and then going and looking for cess pool to jump into again.
We’re like infants. Paul says elsewhere and we need to grow up, we need to mature.
My daughter has started crawling and grabbing things.
She always gets caught under chairs or coffee tables and like a fly trying to get through a window keep bumping her head thinking it gonna change.
She has toys and she’s smacking herself in the face, and not figuring out that if she stops moving her arm, she will stop getting pummelled by a chew toy.
Now why does she do this?...she’s a baby. She hasn’t developed to the point of understanding yet.
Why do we do it?
Wearing the clothing of a different time, unsuited to who we are and who we have been called to be.
God calls on us to move past the fashion of the past.
I love that my son likes to dress in the outfits of superheroes and play star wars. That he throws a blanket over his head and says dad, I look like a Jedi.
If he is still doing this at 30, I’ll be looking for a good therapist.
His batman outfit is already a little tight.
There comes a time for one to leave behind the clothing of the past.
It was a practice of the early church, and it is a practice here at Coquitlam Alliance, that when someone is baptized, they leave the tank and put on a clean white robe. It represents the fact that as believers and followers of Jesus, we are no longer wearing the clothing of the “old man”, we are as - says. “New creations in Christ.” Baptism represents a new life that we now have because of Christ.
And if we have been given new life, we shouldn’t be trying to feed ourselves off the old one. If we’ve been given new clothes, we shouldn’t be wearing our old tattered wardrobe. Especially when we know where the old wardrobe leads.
Charles Spurgeon said it this way,
Christian, what hast thou to do with sin? Hath it not cost thee enough already? Burnt child, wilt thou play with the fire? What ! when thou hast already been between the jaws of the lion, wilt thou step a second time into his den?
Did sin ever yield thee real pleasure? Didst thou find solid satisfaction in it? If so, go back to thine old drudgery, and wear the chain again, if it delight thee.
But inasmuch as sin did never give thee what it promised to bestow, but deluded thee with lies, be not a second time snared by the fowler – be free, and let the remembrance of thy ancient bondage forbid thee to enter the net again !
It seems to be laid out quite clearly in scripture that there are roads that lead to death and one that leads to life, but we seem a little slow on accepting that.
There is a commercial on the radio, that a friend of Lalainia and I did recently.
Where he says,
"If you want to turn right, don't make a left"
"If you're hungry, try eating food"
"Want to be a winner? Quit losing all the time"
"Afraid of water? Turn off the tap"
There is truth in that.
Last night my son called me into his room to tell me that his eyelid hurt when he did this…….
So like a good doctor I said ..don’t do that.
There is a truth there.
Young people if you are truly concerned with living a life that glorifies God, stop going to places that make it difficult.
If some of you find it difficult to keep you’re talk pure when you are with a certain group of people, don’t hang out with those people.
Unmarried couples who say, “you know we are trying to be pure, but every night when we are sitting downstairs in the basement and its getting late, and no one else is home, it’s hard to resist.
So don’t sit downstairs in the dark, late at night, when everyone else is out.
When you are trying to quite smoking, or drinking or a drug habit, it doesn’t make sense to go to bars, and hang out with people who do not share the same conviction.
For some it might be the computer; when you go onto your computer in the privacy of your home office late at night, it is difficult for you to stay away from sexually explicit sites.
Don’t go on your computer late at night. And move your computer into the living room where the whole family is around.
When I play sports, anger wells up in me and there is side of me that is un-Christ like that takes over.
Don’t play competitive sports.
Brad, Are you serious?
For the kingdoms sake…absolutely, I am serious.
You might say, well if I’m cutting out movies and computer games, and sports, physical pleasure, what am I living for.
Jesus. It is his life. Not ours. Our life is hidden in Christ.
You say you are talking about complete abandonment to God, and what he wants for me, giving no regard for what I want.
You’re telling me to be dead to myself and alive in Christ.
That is exactly what God is asking of us.
From now on it is all about Jesus.
Paul says in v. 7-11
7 You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. 8 But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. 9 Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. 10 Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. 11 In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.
7 Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.
8 Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. 9 For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. 10 So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.
11 When you came to Christ, you were “circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature.
that we need to rid ourselves of anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
Paul has moved from those things that are destructive to our bodies and minds, and now moves to those things that are destructive to the unity of the church. Those things that Satan would love to see make their way in, and we have to keep a close watch on the door and make sure they do not make their way in.
We need to be careful that anger, which can work itself into rage, and malice which manifests itself through slander and filthy talk, are placed in the trash.
PAUSE
That was not always the case. Greeks had reasons to not sit with Jews, Jews had reasons to not sit with Greeks, neither of them likes the Barbarians, and the worst of the barbarians were the Scythians; a group of people believed to be sub-human and more animal than man.
III. Barriers are gone, Paul says. And that is part of replacing the old wardrobe with the new.
One of the signs of a community infused with the Spirit of God, is that there is no more division.
In fact in the next verse Paul labels them all together.
12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
V. 12 we are God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved.
Any labels we might have for each other, that are far outside these, are not appropriate. When you speak about or to a brother or sister in Christ, you need to remember that you are speaking to a chosen one of God, holy (set apart for God’s purpose) and one who is dearly loved by him.
James, another writer to the early church warns us that we must be careful not to worship God with our mouths and then curse those who have been made in his image. It points to a heart that is still wearing an old clothing.
7 People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, 8 but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. 9 Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. 10 And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! 11 Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? 12 Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring.
8 but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. 9 Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God.
9 Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God.
In the same way that fresh water and bitter water cannot flow from the same spring, we cannot allow worship and poison to come from our lips.
That belongs to the old self.
So as we have set our mind on Christ as his new Creation and find ourselves as part of this New Community God has create through Christ..we are invited to put on new clothes.
III. New Clothes (vv. 12-15)
12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
Paul says, if you want to look the part, if you want to dress the truth. If you want to reflect your heavenly position in Christ, in your earthly existence, try these clothes on. The will fit perfectly.
Paul says, if you want to look the part, if you want to dress in a fitting manner. If you want to reflect your heavenly position in Christ, in your earthly existence, try these clothes on.
Col. 3:12-14
They are the clothing of the kingdom that we represent., They are clothing native to our heavenly home, and if we are ambassadors of Christ, we will wear them with great diligence.
These are virtues that most 5 year olds can explain. They are not difficult to comprehend, just difficult to emulate.
But they are the clothing of the kingdom that we represent., They are clothing native to our heavenly home, and if we are ambassadors of Christ, we will wear them with great diligence.
And like kids trying on their parent clothing.
It might not fit right away.
But as we spend time with our creator v 10, and we experience daily, compassion, kindness, mercy, forgiveness as we continue to comprehend and experience His love, we take them on.
We will not be able to live out any of those things if we refuse to accept them in out own lives.
But as we spend time with Christ, and grow in compassion, kindness, mercy, forgiveness as we continue to comprehend and experience His
If we do not accept the forgiveness, grace and mercy
in our lives, we cannot freely offer it to others.
Finally Paul says v. 14- like a belt.....
14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.
14And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity
Some translations say that “love which is the perfect bond”
“perfect bond of unity”
It is love that will holds the body of Christ together in unbreakable fellowship.
Often Paul makes it very simple for us. And he does that here.
If we forget any other virtue, it won’t matter if we remember love.
Love is the bond. That means that it doesn’t just tighten around the rest of the virtues like a tight belt, it makes them all as if they were one.
That means that if we have a hard time remembering to be compassionate, but we can remember to love, we will by default be compassionate.
If we are having a a hard time remembering to bear with one another, but we remember to love, we will bear with each other by default
AND
If we bring the same misconceived idea in the Church, that many do into marriage we are in trouble.
Love is work!
And often some will leave a church because they find out that they are going to have to work at their relationships with people in the church.
That if they offend, they will have to, in humility, ask for forgiveness. And if they have been offended they must forgive. How can we not?
How can we of all people, who claim to understand the grace, and unrelenting love of God, dare to claim it for ourselves and then withhold it from others?
Love is work!
And if we are having a hard time with that, it is simply because we have not let the peace of Christ rule our hearts, as Paul says in v. 15.
The word for rule in the original language is literally the call of an umpire. A judge in an athletic competition.
When a call has to be made on how we will respond in a time of conflict, and our feelings cannot be trusted (which they rarely can). Look to the peace of Christ to umpire the call. Let it rule over you!
Conclusion
Here is the thing, some of us are walking through life trying to be a Christian, and we’ve got the old self, we’ve got sin, and it won’t leave us alone. It is massive and it is daunting. And difficult to manage.
So what do we do?
Imagine a 800lbs gorilla here on the platform. He is big, he is hairy, he has sharp teeth, he is seething.
How many here think I could take him?
It won’t be a contest, he it going to play with me. He is going to toss me around like yesterdays garbage.
Here is the thing, If he jumps on my back, and I can somehow get him off, with some kidney shots, or if I grabb him by the hang me down part of the arm and twist.
How long will it take him to gaqin his composure and jump on me again?
Like a second.
Sin is like an 800 pound gorilla on our backs and no matter how many times we place it down and vow that we will not allow it to get on our backs again, it jumps right back.
Why?
Because it’s big, and right now, it feels like it can do whatever it wants with me. He’s laughing and tossing me around like an evil older brother, and no matter how much I plead, or try to resist…..it’s an 800lbs gorilla
So how do we deal with that?
1) We need to stop feeding him and starve him
Whatever is feeding your sinful desire, starve it. Cut down the source.
Some of us have been feeding the sin for years. So one prayer is not going to do it.
You may have to starve it for awhile, before you see any real results.
But eventually the 800 lb gorilla will shed some pounds. And it might take some time, but eventually it will go from 8-400lbs. Now at 400 he can still take me, but I’m gonna get a few shots in.
Then through more prayer and more time away from sin that used to be the norm, 400-200 (now we’re in the same weight class), then if I continue to starve it. It will be the size of a bunny.
It may never be completely gone, but now I’m calling the shots.
He’s gonna be all I’m just a bunny I’m cute, and I’ll be like, you’re my past, and punt kick him into the sun.
At this size it is no longer the master of me. It can still annoy me, but it is not my master.
2) squeeze it out
We live our lives facing the gorilla 6 days a week ; feeding it and nurturing it with our culture, and then come and throw some scraps Jesus way on the weekend, and wonder why we are not more like Jesus.
It is not simply about throwing the old wardrobe in the trash and burning it, we need to replace it with a new one.
When we fill our wardrobe with new clothes, start filling it with our new selves, there is less and less room for the old self to seep back in.
In many of our closets, it is Christ that is trying to squeeze in, but our old ill-fitting wardrobe is taking up too much space.
But when we get to the point where (as John the Baptist says) Jesus is increasing and we are decreasing, slowly but surely it is sin that is fighting unsuccessfully to gain ground.
PAUSE
On those really shallow shows like Entertainment tonight, or E! They will go to some movie premier and they’ll ask the stars “Who are you wearing? And that is the really cool way of saying “Who designed you clothes”
And I want to leave you with the same question. Who are you wearing?
Is it the tattered old smelly ill-fitting clothing of the past.
Guilt, shame, sexual immorality, greed,
The reasons they bring rottenness and destruction to our lives is because they are grave clothes!!
Is anger, lust, greed ruling?
or have you trashed that for the clothing that was purchased for you on the cross of Christ.
Are you wearing clothing that is suited to your heavenly home.
If you are finding yourself still looking at old clothing and trying it on, Paul says there is one solution, spend time with Christ.
Reflect on his grace, his acceptance, his new life feely given.
When your life w
Let’s prayer
Benediction