A Perfect Picture of Gospel People
Listen Up To The One In Charge • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction
Title: A Perfect Picture of Gospel People
Text:
Main Idea: Put On The Chosen Life
Put on a Humble Character (vs. 12)Put on a Forgiving Attitude (vs. 13)Put on a Heart of Love (vs. 14-15)Put in the Word of Christ (vs. 16-17)
Introduction
Attention - Most every parent in the modern age has gone through the agonizing torture of getting perfect baby picture. I found some pretty bad ones that are hilarious...
And while it is next to impossible to get the perfect baby or family picture, God has provided for us the perfect picture to see what God’s people are to look like!
What is the Hearer’s problem?
What is the Biblical Solution?
What do the hearers need to know?
Main Textual Idea: The Colossians were in danger of getting it wrong, So Paul gives them a perfect snapshot of the Christian life. They question was for them and for us is will we copy this picture and put it on in our own lives?
This is his challenge and this is the...
Main Idea: Put On The Chosen Life
Interrogative:
Now, in verses 12-14 He gives three Characteristics that we are to “Put on”
A Godly Character
Transition:
A Forgiving Attitude
Body (Satisfaction)
A Heart of Love
1. Put on a Godly Character (vs. 12)
Lead in…We are often told that we need to be more Godly or that we should act in a Godly, Christlike way. But what does Godliness look like? Well, I can tell you this, Godliness will profoundly effect one’s character...
12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,
Text -
Explanation - In the same way as last week’s passage when Paul admonishes the Colossians to “Put to death” and “having put off the old self,” so he challenges them to replace that action with another action of Put on something to replace it.
They are to put on a Godly Character.
This is a command that, because of the aorist tense of the verb, must be obeyed at once!
We are to take off the old, dirty clothes and replace them with clean, pristine
What does this character look like?
Well, Paul gives five words that describe Godliness very well. But before we examine these five words, I want you to notice Paul’s reason they should put these characteristics on in the first place. Do you see it?
The reason they are to actively “Put on” these five characteristics is because of who they are! They are part of the chosen life!
The Colossian Christians are “chosen ones” -
The Colossian Christians are “holy” -
The Colossian Christians are “beloved” -
This is who they are and this, if you are a true christian, this is who your are as well!
You are chosen by God to be holy and loved!
And so, because you are God’s son or daughter, there is a certain character that you must exude. In fact, Paul says you are to put these things on! Look at these amazing characteristics...
“Compassionate Hearts” -
“Kindness” -
“Humility” -
Wuest’s Word Studies in the Greek New Testament Chapter Three
“the having a humble opinion of one’s self, a deep sense of one’s (moral) littleness, modesty, lowliness of mind.”
“Meekness” -
Wuest’s Word Studies in the Greek New Testament Chapter Three
“Meekness” is praotēs (πραοτης), “an inwrought grace of the soul, that temper of spirit in which we accept God’s dealings with us as good, and therefore without disputing or resisting. It is the humble heart which is also the meek; and which, as such, does not fight against God, and more or less struggle and contend with Him.
“Patience” - Not easily provoked.
Jesus is the epitome of this
15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. 16 But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.
15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.
16 But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.
15 And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him,
4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again. God can instantaneously make you godly and doesn’t need to use you in the process. Yet, He has chosen to work with His children by having them participate in the process through obedience. Your obedience to His commands will make you more and more like Christ.
Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is commanding the Colossian Christians to put these characteristics on! And we are to as well! This is what it means, in part, to be godly!
Illustration - Not this last Christmas, but the one before, I was asked to be a guide in “The Journey To Bethlehem”. My name was Mordechai and I was from the Tribe of Benjamin. My job was to take a group of people from Nazareth to the town of Bethlehem so they could be registered for the census!
Illustration - The other day, our grandson was trying on my shoes!
Along the journey we encounter shepherds, magi, townspeople, livestock and an imposing Imperial Roman army. We made it to the inn only to be turned away, and then pointed in the direction of the stable where the most precious gift of Christmas lay, the Christ Child.
In order to play the part of Mordechai, I needed to “Put on” a few things to make me believable as this character.
I needed to put on the proper clothing
I needed to put on the proper mind set - We didn’t travel in busses, we traveled in very large camels.
I even needed to put on the proper voice - “Oy vey!” Do you have any idea how long and painful this journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem is going to be?
Argumentation - Folks, in order to become a godly person, you must...
Do you have a compassionate heart?
Are you kind to people even if they don’t deserve it?
Are you meek? Strength under control?
Are you patient with believers and unbelievers alike?
Application - How do I grow in these characteristics?
First - Are you “God’s chosen one”?
Second, if your are - Pray and ask God for an increasing measure of each of these characteristics.
Third - Like I purposefully acted out my role as Mordechai, so you must purposefully act out your role as a follower of Christ! Pray and then do!!
Review - Put On The Chosen Life
Put on a Godly Character
2. Put on a Forgiving Attitude (vs. 13)
Lead in…Do you love the fact that, in Christ, you are forgiven? What an amazing reality! It is at the heart and soul of our faith!
But then, as a forgiven people, we are to be forgiving!
Jay Adams wrote a book years ago, “From Forgiven to Forgiving” And this is our great privilege as forgiven people.
Which is easier for you to be forgiven or to forgive?
Forgiving someone is hard work, because people can be hard to live with! They can really hurt us!
Preaching the Word: Colossians and Philemon—The Supremacy of Christ Wearing Saints’ Clothing (v. 13)
To live above with the saints we love,
Oh, that will be glory.
But to live below with the saints we know,
Well, that’s another story.
Yet look at what Paul commands the Colossians...
Text -
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.
Explanation - What is one none negotiable characteristic of a genuine Christian? Forgiveness. To be a Christian is to be a forgiver.
Paul says in verse 13 that believers are to bear with one other. The idea behind the word “bear” is to “endure.”
My wife understands this term very well. She, over our 28 years of married life has had to endure many things about me...
And, honestly, this is what the Christian life is about. We must learn to bear with one another!!
The one thing we have in common is Jesus! If we are in Christ, we love Christ. And it is this love for Christ that draws us together as a church body.
But there are many differences we have about many different things from our preferences about music to dress to politics to just about anything!
“Opinions are like belly buttons, we all have one!”
We have all kinds of things we can disagree on.
But we must endure one another for the sake of Christ in the area of preferences...
He goes on to say, if something does come up that you can’t let go, where there is a genuine offense that has taken place, the concept of forgiveness is the only remedy that prevents us from descending into bitterness, anger and wrath that can and does so often accompany being sinned against.
Wuest’s Word Studies in the Greek New Testament Chapter Three
“Forgiving” is charizomai (χαριζομαι), “to show one’s self gracious, kind, benevolent, to grant forgiveness.” The Greek word “grace” is charis (χαρις), and has the same form as this word.
Notice the onus or responsibility is placed upon the one wronged here...
The assumption from the text is that someone has sinned against someone and the offended party must get to the place of forgiveness. It’s not an option for the Christian.
15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
15-
Paul, gives the best reason why it is not an option for the Christian. “forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you MUST also FORGIVE!”
He gives the reason why it is not an option for the Christian. “forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you MUST also FORGIVE!”
Forgiveness is not an option for the believer. According to the Apostle Paul, it is a command. And when we refuse to forgive, we are sinning with a high hand against the God of the Bible! This is serious, folks.
3 Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, 4 and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.
23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
23-
I’m not sure what has been perpetrated against you. And I am sure it is possibly one of the hardest things you have ever had to deal with, but Jesus’ point in this parable is this, your debt to God is far greater!
Illustration - John Perkins tells how he was beaten in a Mississippi jail, being repeatedly kicked and stomped on as he lay in a fetal position for protection. The beating went on and on as he writhed in a pool of his own blood while inebriated officers took turns, using their feet and blackjacks. At one point an officer took an unloaded pistol, put it to Perkins’s head, and pulled the trigger. Then another bigger man beat him until he was unconscious. As the night wore on, it got worse. During a conscious period, one officer pushed a fork down his throat. It was barbarous torture, a great, substantive reason to hate. But this is what happened, as John Perkins tells it:
John Perkins tells how he was beaten in a Mississippi jail, being repeatedly kicked and stomped on as he lay in a fetal position for protection. The beating went on and on as he writhed in a pool of his own blood while inebriated officers took turns, using their feet and blackjacks. At one point an officer took an unloaded pistol, put it to Perkins’s head, and pulled the trigger. Then another bigger man beat him until he was unconscious. As the night wore on, it got worse. During a conscious period, one officer pushed a fork down his throat. It was barbarous torture, a great, substantive reason to hate. But this is what happened, as John Perkins tells it:
The Spirit of God worked on me as I lay in that bed. An image formed in my mind. The image of the cross—Christ on the cross. It blotted out everything else in my mind. This Jesus knew what I had suffered. He understood. And He cared. Because He had experienced it all Himself. This Jesus, this One who had brought good news directly from God in heaven, had lived what He preached. Yet He was arrested and falsely accused. Like me, He went through an unjust trial. He also faced a lynch mob and got beaten. But even more than that, He was nailed to rough wooden planks and killed. Killed like a common criminal. At the crucial moment, it seemed to Jesus that even God Himself had deserted Him. The suffering was so great, He cried out in agony. He was dying. But when He looked at that mob who had lynched Him, He didn’t hate them. He loved them. He forgave them. And He prayed God to forgive them. “Father, forgive these people, for they don’t know what they are doing.” His enemies hated. But Jesus forgave. I couldn’t get away from that.… It’s a profound, mysterious truth—Jesus’ concept of love overpowering hate. I may not see its victory in my lifetime. But I know it’s true. I know it’s true, because it happened to me. On that bed, full of bruises and stitches—God made it true in me. He washed my hatred away and replaced it with a love for the white man in rural Mississippi. I felt strong again. Stronger than ever. What doesn’t destroy me makes me stronger. I know it’s true. Because it happened to me.
“Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” It is not enough to put up with each other, to refuse retaliation—we must truly forgive. And if we struggle with this, we must, as did John Perkins, recall the immense forgiveness of Christ.
R. Kent Hughes, Colossians and Philemon: The Supremacy of Christ, Preaching the Word (Westchester, IL: Crossway Books, 1989), 105–106.
Argumentation - God has call you out of darkness into his marvelous light. And so you have to actively through obedience Put On the Chosen Life! This means you need to put your energy into this process.
Put on a Godly Character
Put on a Forgiving Attitude!
Application - And those of you wrestling with forgiveness this morning, to obey God and forgive the person that has hurt you is the ONLY way OUT of the bitterness you are living under. God knows what He is asking you to do. The question is, do you trust Him or will you continue to bow down and obey your feelings? The only way out is to obey Jesus!
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespassed against us...
Review - Put On The Chosen Life
Put on a Godly Character
Put on a Forgiving Attitude
3. Put on a Heart of Love (vs. 14)
Lead in…How many of you enjoy those cooking shows on TV? We love them!
One thing I learned by watching one of these shows is about a “Binding Agent.” Do you what a binding agent is in cooking?
What is a binding agent in cooking?
Binding Agents are any ingredient that can help a mixture hold its shape or remain bound together.
Well, God has a binding agent as well. Do you know what His Binding Agent is? Look at verse 14 with me...
Text -
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.
14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
Explanation - Without question, love is the greatest of all attributes, we as followers of Christ are to “Put On”!
“And above all these put on love...”
Love is most beautiful, powerful attribute their is...
Again, you as a Christ follower are to purposely and actively clothe yourself in love! In fact, the picture is that love is the coat that you put on over all the other attributes mentioned. The coat binds or secures everything else.
Wuest’s Word Studies in the Greek New Testament Chapter Three
He quotes Plato: “But two things cannot be held together without a third; they must have some bond of union. And the fairest bond is that which most completely fuses and is fused into the things which are bound.” How true that last sentence is. How completely divine love is fused with the other virtues as it binds them together into one harmonious whole and makes them usable.
Even if your are a non Christian and have not spent much time in the Bible, surely these words are familiar to you?
4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Illustration - I’m not in the habit of quoting the Beatles as a source for my sermons, but you just can’t go wrong with the chorus of their song, “Love is all you need.”
All you need is love
All you need is love
All you need is love, love
Love is all you need
Argumentation - And I’ll tell you, this is a powerful reality. Because at the heart of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is love!
It was love that drove Christ from Heaven
It was love that had him be born in a stable
It was love that caused him to take on human form
It was love that was behind His fulfillment of all the scriptures about Him.
It was love that motivated Him to heal the lame, give sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf and speech to the mute.
It was love that strengthened Him to stand up during false trials, ungodly treatment, mocking, ridicule and torture.
It was love that drove Him to the Cross and it was love that held him there.
It was love, my friends. A deep and profound love that He has for you that he willingly, graciously, humbly died in your place - taking the wrath of God on Himself so you could be freed from the Law’s demand and condemnation. I was love.
So in this sense we say amen and amen to the idea that indeed, “All we need is Love” His love! A selfless love that the world just doesn’t understand.
But you do. And the wonderful thing is, you and I, because of our relationship with Jesus, can love like Jesus. And just as Jesus chose to purposely and intentionally love you, you need to do the same for others.
What is the result of this kind of love? Harmony and peace! This is what the world is clamoring for! World peace! But there is no opportunity for this kind of harmony and peace apart from the loving reality of God through the Gospel of peace!
This agape love that Paul talks about brings together and secures everything in perfect harmony!
Paul’s command is to “let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body...”
What is the peace of Christ? Peace is the absence of war. Because of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection, we, if we are saved, are no longer at ward with God! Praise God for the peace of Christ!
“Rule” is an athletic term that means to “umpire” In other words, when conflict happens, The PEACE of CHRIST is to be the authority!
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
And because we are no longer at war with God we can live within a community of His people peacefully! As we allow this peace to rule or control our hearts, we can live, no longer at war with each other. This is the amazing power of the peace of Christ!
Truth for Today July 28: Peaceful Relationships
By definition, a peaceful relationship cannot be one–sided. You must do your part to make sure that your side of a relationship is right. Your inner desire, with God’s help, should be to live in peace with everyone, even the most sinful, hard-to-get-along–with people.
Short of compromising the Word of God, you ought to extend yourself to great lengths to build peaceful bridges to those who persecute you and hate you. If you set aside any grudge or bitterness and from the heart completely forgive your enemies, you can honestly seek reconciliation with them.
18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
And, by the way, Paul throws one more thing in there. Be thankful! The body of Christ is to be a loving, peaceful and thankful community! This is what biblical love leads to - peace and thankfulness!
Application - Who can you purposely and intentionally love this week. I want to challenge you to love two people you haven’t loved before and see how God might use you!
Love someone from this church - pray and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal in you who it is that could use some love and encouragement. And then, love them!
Love someone from this community - Again, pray and ask God who He would have you to love from this community. And then, love them!
Put on a heart of love because His love is what we need! And if you do, you will be well on your way to having a Godly Character and a forgiving attitude!
Review - Put On The Chosen Life
Put on a Godly Character
Put on a Forgiving Attitude
Put on a Heart of Love
Lead in…So far, Paul has challenged the Colossians to Put On the communicable attributes of God. They are to put them on just like putting on a coat. But now, he challenges them to put something inside of them. Take a look at the text with me...
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.
Text -
Explanation - You and I are to put the Word of Christ (logos tou Christou) in ourselves. In fact, it is to dwell or LIVE in us richly or ABUNDANTLY!
Why are we to do this? Because of the abundant benefit of His Holy Word in and on our lives.
What are we to do with a mind and heart full of the Word of Christ? Are we to sit on it? No! Are we to argue about it? No!
According to verse 16, we are to saturate our hearts and minds with His Holy word so we can instruct others in the truth and help other who veer from the truth.
That’s what admonish means - to counsel others back to a right way of living.
Believer can and should counsel one another from the word of God. Paul challgenges the Romans with this thought...
14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another.
And the reason we can instruct, counsel or admonish one another is because the wisdom we give doesn’t come from man, it come for God! God’s wisdom is far superior to any foolishness we can come up with on our own.
25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
God expects us to speak His wisdom into the lives of each other!
But I want you to see the other interesting thing that having the word of Christ dwelling in us richly causes...
Singing! Yes, singing! Truth, bubbling in one’s soul should overflow in praise to our God...
Where else to people get together and sing on a regular basis? School choirs, glee clubs, Irish pubs?
I think I’m safe to say that it is the church that sings regularly and we do so because we have a great reason! We have God’s truth and I will tell you, setting truth to music is a powerful way to get it solidified in your heart and mind!
Psalms -
Hymns -
Spiritual Songs -
Singing with Thankfulness in your hearts -
In fact, don’t simply sing with thankfulness in your hearts to God, do everything with a heart of thanksgiving to the Father and the Son!
These are the results of having Christ’s Word lodged in your soul!
Illustration - Pastor Muri and Psalm 15...
Argumentation - Could you take the word and help people with it?
Application -
Review - Put On The Chosen Life
Put on a Godly Character
Put on a Forgiving Attitude
Put on a Heart of Love
Put in the Word of Christ
Conclusion
Review opening illustration (if appropriate)
In the beginning of the sermon we saw some hilarious pictures that were photographers attempts at getting just the right shot - the perfect picture of a baby.
Paul gives us a perfect picture of the Christian. If Paul were to take a picture of you, would your picture resemble the “perfect pic?”
Action they should take
Land the Plane
Connection Group Reflection Questions
Why do you think God commands us to “Put on” these attributes in verse 12? Why doesn’t He just make us exhibit them?
Which one listed is the biggest challenge for you?
Why is it so hard to forgive? Why does God put so much weight on this action?
We are to “above all these put on love.” What is so powerful about love? Discuss some practical ways you can exhibit love in the church and in the community.