The Difference Maker

Are you aware that today is a holiday, as in a true Holy Day. Because of the floating nature of Easter, the holiday commemorated today is often shielded by Mother’s Day or Memorial Day. Today is Pentecost, celebrated 49 days after Easter and celebrates the event described in Acts 2 when the Holy Spirit descended and took up residence in those gathered in Jerusalem, giving power to live differently and victoriously.

The circumstances of our world continue to reveal how needed is our example of lives lived by the power of the Spirit.

As if re-opening from a viral pandemic was not enough of a challenge, the news this week has spiraled lower and lower with the reappearance of some old problems.

As I listened to one news broadcast yesterday, I heard a cycle of 4 headlines that recurred as if on a treadmill.

1) was the horrific death of a man created in God’s image. His story will be spun and retold according to new talking points as more information comes to light, but nothing can mitigate the tragedy of a life that ended without due process of law;

2) All across our country, selfish and angry people have hijacked George Floyd’s tragic death as an opportunity for anarchy;

3) Contrary perspectives of the contagion and severity of a worldwide virus are driving divisions between strangers; And

4) Somehow the launch of a rocket gives us hope that solutions to our challenges can be found in space.

I think the last headline is moving in the right direction but doesn’t go quite far enough. The solution to our problems is other-worldly. But isn’t found in space, but in a person beyond space. The remedy for dead worldly behavior is found only in a living Christ. When we are identified in and empowered by Him, we are capable of overcoming earth’s challenges.

Last week’s message text revealed 2 lists of 5 putrid behavior that a follower of Christ should put off. These were sins of the mind and of the mouth. This week’s passage reveals a list of 5 traits that we should put on that mirror 3 reflections of Christ. You may want to underline the peace of Christ in v.15, the word of Christ in v.16, and the name of the Lord Jesus in v. 17.

Transition: In an age of outrage where every statement is viewed as an invitation to conflict, God’s Word reminds us of how to genuinely get along with others…

The Peace of Christ Transmits Harmony (Col 3:12-15)

Colossians 3:12–15 ESV:2016

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. 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.

A Canopy of Love (v.14-15)

1. The word used here is not the word for brotherly camaraderie, it is the idea of the supreme love that seeks the best for others.

2. When we truly seek and pursue the best for others, then the peace of v.15 can come into full blossom.

3. When love is the ruling principle, then, although we may disagree about our preferences, we can find harmony.

Psalm 133:1 ESV:2016

1 Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!

Philippians 4:7 ESV:2016

7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

4. Because we have been chosen by God (v.12a), He has made us recipients of love and make us holy, He has placed us under the shelter of His love and put His peace within us, it flows in Paul’s mind that it is reasonable to command us to put on certain attitudes.

5 Virtues (v.12b)

1. Compassionate hearts

· This is an unusual compound word that speaks of the merging of behavior and motives.

Have you ever been served by waitstaff at a restaurant that were extremely nice? I frequently wonder if they would be half as considerate if we both approached one of the 3 open lines at Wal-mart at the same time. Or what would their demeanor be if they were not dependent upon tips?

As those who have been loved and chosen by God we are tasked with nice actions that come from truly kind feelings toward the person.

2. Kindness

· Sometimes it is helpful to understand a word by considering its opposite. In Romans 11:22 this word is used as the contrast to severity toward fallen creatures who remain under God’s wrath.

· This Kindness is a fruit of the Spirit in Gal 5:22 and is a quality of God Himself (Ps 34:8). Yes, the God of the Old Testament is described as kind.

3. Patience

· I’ll come back to humility and meekness in a moment. They are paired in a unique way.

· I like the definition of Patience given by Dr. Curtis Vaughan in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, “Patience denotes the self-restraint that enables one to bear injury and insult without resorting to hasty retaliation.”

4. Humility

5. Meekness

· Humility and Meekness set this list apart from other ancient virtue lists.

· If several 1st century worldview systems find compassion, kindness and patience as admirable qualities, what makes a kind, loving and patient person truly Christian is their humility and meekness.

You may disagree with me, but my observation is that these two are missing in much of the public, social or media dialogue that is flaming controversy. Both those who demand “justice for Floyd” OR those who only decry the arson, theft, and vandalism frequently lack in the humility and meekness of a Christian response.

Hear me clearly, I am NOT commenting on Floyd’s cause or manner of death. I am NOT commenting on the motives of the 4 police officers. And I am NOT commenting on the angst of people of color who live in fear of discrimination. I simply don’t have enough information, nor is it my role as a minister of the Gospel, to make a statement about every social situation. I want to be quick to listen and slow to speak (James 1:19).

I will stop by saying, “it is a tragedy whenever an image-bearer’s life is ended at the hand of another apart from the just administration of governmental authority as established in Genesis 9”.

In one list we have the events that have occurred. In another column we have the statements about those events. All I’m trying to say right now is that the statements that are not shaped by humility and meekness, run contrary to the love that binds us and betrays the peace of Christ that is intended to rule our hearts.

Application (v.13)

1. When we pre-determine what we will see in another person, it isn’t hard to find examples of it.

· Some are of the impression that Police are systemically racist and events like this week cause quick emotional responses.

· Some have already concluded that the other political party is given to a certain vice. If you think a political party is opposed to religious freedom, this pandemic has given you lots of examples of it. If you think the other party values money over human life, you will find plenty of anecdotes.

· You will find what you are looking for.

2. Since we have been chosen, loved and sanctified by God it is reasonable to expect us to choose differently.

3. Others will disappoint you, others will offend you. V.13 put the challenge on how we respond to this disappointment and offense—forbearance and forgiveness (not partial, but) to the extent the Lord has forgiven us.

4. How different would this week’s news cycle have been if producers and editors were headlining forbearance and forgiveness?

Transition: The next verse instructs on how to go beyond forbearance and to truly encourage one another.

The Word of Christ Encourages One Another (Col 3:16)

Colossians 3:16 ESV:2016

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.

Seldom is heard a discouraging word

1. Some commentaries get bogged down in debating if the word of Christ is “the word describing Christ” or the word from Christ”. To which I answer “yes! It is both.”

2. God’s Word is both divinely-inspired and it accurately describes both what He said and who He is.

3. Unfortunately, some Christians misuse the exhortation of Eph 4:15 where we are instructed to speak the truth in love. They use the Scripture like darts and toss their little gems toward others in a harsh manner then claim, “I’m only speaking the truth”.

4. Pr 15:23 instructs that it must be the right word at the right time!

Proverbs 15:23 ESV:2016

23 To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good it is!

5. Rom 14:19 teaches that it must be the right word with the right motive.

Romans 14:19 ESV:2016

19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.

Multiply until it overflows

1. Dwell – To live actively inside us.

2. Corona 19 is a virus that had one unique point of origin, has been carried almost exclusively in humans and spread throughout the globe.

I am not a doctor and I have never played one on TV. This is about the extent of my knowledge of epidemiology. Sometimes we contract a virus and it remains dormant for years or a lifetime. Sometimes it affects us significantly. Sometimes we contract a virus and we become contagious, whether we have symptoms or not.

3. To borrow from medical realities that we hear about almost daily, let the Word of God (the virus, if you will) dwell in you so that it multiplies and overflows.

a. Let it overflow in ways that inform and encourage others.

b. Let it overflow in thankfulness to God.

4. Wouldn’t it be awesome if the Word of Christ spread throughout the globe at the same rate that Corona 19 has spread?

5. One way that God’s wisdom overflows from us and helps others is through singing.

a. I’ve heard lots of speculation about the difference between Psalms, hymns & spiritual songs.

b. My best understanding at this point is that Psalms are the singing of inspired Scripture, regardless of if it is Miriam’s song in Exodus 15, the 150 Psalms in the middle of our Bible, or songs like Col 1:15-22 in the New Testament.

c. I understand hymns to be songs that describe God regardless of form. It may be done in verses and chorus like A Mighty Fortress is Our God or it may be in modern flow like You’re a Good, Good Father.

d. I think of spiritual songs as songs that describe our experience as spiritual beings. They may appear in a hymnbook such as When the Roll is Called Up Yonder or they may be distributed as chord charts and videos such as the song New Wine that I introduced last week.

6. The challenge is to let our thoughts about who Christ is and what He does in and for us to so ruminate inside of us that those thoughts come out in spontaneous ways.

Transition: We have seen that we need to have forbearance and forgiveness toward others. We have seen that the Word of Christ out to ruminate and overflow in our words. And lastly, we read that…

Our Testimony Advocates the Name of Christ (Col 3:17)

Colossians 3:17 ESV:2016

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.

Explanation

1. As Christians, we bear the name of Christ. The word Christian is found only three times in the entire New Testament (Acts 11:26; 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16). The name was given originally as a term of contempt, but gradually it became a name of honor. The name of Christ, then, means identification: we belong to Jesus Christ

2. But His name also means authority. A man’s name signed to a check authorizes the withdrawal of money from the bank. It is in the name of Jesus Christ that we have the authority to pray (John 14:13–14; 16:23–26). Because Jesus Christ is God, and He has died for us, we have authority in His name.

3. Bearing the name of Jesus is a great privilege, but it is also a tremendous responsibility We must do and say everything on the authority of His name and for the honor of His name.[i]

Conclusion:

Since we are united with Christ through the indwelling Holy Spirit, we have all the resources we need for holy living. But we must be spiritually motivated.[ii]

Because of our new lives in Christ all believers are called on to clothe ourselves in virtue, letting Christ’s peace rule our hearts. His Word should dwell in us richly, and we should do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus.[iii]

[i] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 141.

[ii] Ibid., 141.

[iii] Norman L. Geisler, “Colossians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 682.