Ugly Actions

Introduction

Good morning and welcome back!

This morning we are going to be finishing up our series concerning the Ugly Christmas Sweater and the person that fills it that determines whether it is ugly or not.

And we are going to be looking at the subject of “Ugly Actions” taking from Colossians 3:12-17.

And so far, we’ve talked about all of the ways we often live with ugly thoughts, ugly words, and ugly motives.

But today we are talking about the end result of all of that, the ugly actions we often choose.

And while it is true that during all seasons we have to be mindful of our actions, but Christmas is a season when we can make conscious decisions to bless people because of the blessing God gave us by sending Jesus to earth.

We have the ability to live like Jesus, but often we end up acting like an ugly Christmas sweater.

And even though the life of a Christian is supposed to be about living in a way that honors Jesus.

Many people miss this and live day-to-day only thinking of themselves.

However, during the Christmas season, the season we honor the birth of Jesus we are called to remember God’s selfless action to come to earth and rescue His people.

And, in response to His generosity, we must make choices to bless others and make Jesus famous by the actions we take.

And that is the key, the actions that are a blessing to others do not happen by accident.

They take real, intentional focus.

But the reality is, here is how it typically goes . . .

We will come to church and celebrate the birth of our savior in a dimly lit room with candles and sing Silent Night. Suddenly the next day, many of us join in with the rest of the country pushing and fighting for the newest iPhone at Best Buy and arguing over all kinds of things.

How can these two extremes happen all at once?

Well, the Bible tells us we have two natures constantly warring against one another . . .

Galatians 5:17 NIV - Anglicised

For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.

And the only solution for this that we have talked about many times is the Holy Spirit . . .

Galatians 5:16 NIV - Anglicised

So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

But we struggle with this.

We struggle with the internal war that wages within each and every one of us.

And it was no different in Paul’s day and the people Paul is writing to here.

The Colossians are a lot like you and me in that they were a group of people who were trying to figure out what it looked like to love people well in light of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Somehow and someway, the sacrifice of Christ should have a profound impact on us as followers of Jesus.

If not, then we will never make the shift from being ugly Christmas sweaters to something more beautiful.

It’s time for our ugly actions to become Godly actions.

Which is exactly what Paul is challenging us to do here.

So, Colossians 3, starting in verse 12, Paul writes . . .

Scripture Focus

Colossians 3:12–17 NIV - Anglicised

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Do It All In The Name of Christ

So, we see that Paul is not cutting them any slack and he doesn’t cut us any was well.

And it is all about reorientation and reorienting our lives.

Think about it this way, has everyone seen “National Lampoons Christmas Vacation?”

If not, you have the Griswald family who is hosting all of their extended family for Christmas and Clark, the Father wants it to be perfect.

He goes out of his way and does everything over the top.

He drags his family out to the woods to find the “perfect” Christmas tree that is way oversized.

He covers, literally covers his entire house with Christmas lights that cause a brown out.

He even goes sleigh riding and greases up his sled so much that he almost kills himself.

And it is all comedy and over exaggerated but the element that makes it funny is that it is all true to some extent.

During the Christmas season every single one of us and reorient ourselves to do things we normally wouldn’t do.

We don’t just wake up on a Tuesday and think, “I’m going to cover my whole house with little blinking lights today.”

We don’t wake up on Wednesday and think, “I’m going to go out in the yard and cut a tree down and put it in my living room today and cover it with lights.”

And we don’t wake up on any other Friday and say, “I think I’m going to go spend more money than I have on gifts for a bunch of people because they are going to buy me one.”

That is just not normal everyday behavior.

But from Thanksgiving through Christmas Day all of that changes.

We reorient ourselves to get into the “Christmas spirit,” Eggnog and bad Christmas music included!

And all Paul is telling the Colossians here (and us by extension) is that we should be doing the exact same thing but not for stuff, but for Jesus.

The followers of God need to reorient their lives in the same kind of way.

We need to be willing to live in unique and counter-cultural ways because of the love of God.

Paul is telling us that there can be no more excuses for not living life God’s way.

He expects it. He says it this way in the end of the passage we just read . . .

Colossians 3:17 NIV - Anglicised

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

He didn’t say “if you feel like doing it this way” or “consider doing it this way,” he said whatever you do (meaning everything), whether in word or deed, to do it ALL in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

So, how are we doing with this?

If you were to look over the past month, how much of your life is lived based on your relationship with Jesus?

What percentage of your words and deeds are centered on Christ?

And if we are honest with one another, probably more often than not, our actions do not look like Jesus and are rather selfish and self-serving.

But Paul tells us we can’t be that way.

Paul tells us to make sure our actions are reflective of the fact that we are grateful for God’s grace in our lives.

And when we actually give thanks for all God has already given us, then we are more ready to treat others with love and respect.

All in the name of Jesus.

We have to be intentional about it thought.

We don’t just wake up each day with godly actions instead of ugly ones.

It is our choice.

Living the way Paul tells us to live is a lot like choosing a Christmas sweater.

We pick the outfit.

Picking The Right Outfit

Let’s back up now and look at verse 12 . . .

Colossians 3:12 NIV - Anglicised

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Do you remember way back several months ago we talked about the word “therefore” in our Bibles?

When we see that, it means that there was something important said before the “therefore.”

In this instance we can back up to the earlier parts of this chapter. First verse 1 . . .

Colossians 3:1–5 NIV - Anglicised

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.

And skip down to verse 10 . . .

Colossians 3:10 NIV - Anglicised

and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

And the point is for us to look at who Paul is talking to here.

Because we could easily dismiss this and say “Paul is talking about all those unsaved heathens out in the world.”

But the reality is, Paul is talking to all those inside the Church.

Those who call themselves Christians.

Those who call themselves followers of Christ.

And as God’s “chosen, holy, and dearly loved people” we are expected to act in a certain way.

And that way is for us to “clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.”

The Greek word used for “clothe” or “put on” is the word “Enduo”.

Enduo literally means to sink into a garment or to cover yourself.

This is an active word Paul is using to paint a picture for his readers.

In order for us to love people well and not act like an ugly Christmas sweater, we must intentionally put on new and better kinds of actions.

We make the decision each day how we will treat others.

How we treat our spouses is important.

How we treat our children is important.

How we treat our friends is important.

And Paul tells us how we are supposed to be acting . .

First, he says, “Clothe yourselves with compassion.”

Compassion – This is the ability to see a situation from someone else’s vantage point.

To feel what someone else is feeling.

Compassion is what leads people to serve others or to give sacrificially.

Compassion is the key to changing a broken world.

This takes a selfless attitude and results in people actually listening to one another.

Then he tells us to clothe ourselves with kindness.

Kindness – Kindness sounds like a simple word but it is much harder to actually live out.

Kindness is what happens when we are always looking for practical ways to serve one another.

Mowing a neighbor’s yard, buying groceries for a family under financial strain, or writing a letter just because you want to bless someone.

Kindness is saying the right thing at just the right time or taking action when you are in a position to make a difference.

Kindness is doing the right thing to positively impact those around you.

Paul tells us to clothe ourselves with humility.-Don’t be the “Humble brag.”

Humility – Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking about yourself less.

Humility is taking on the kind of mentality Jesus taught us and modeled for us.

Selfishness is ugly and is the basis of all sinful action.

Humility then is the way in which sin is overcome and the way of Jesus is made a reality.

Paul tells us to clothe ourselves with gentleness.

Gentleness – This comes from a word meaning controlled strength.

This word is not about weakness, it is about power.

This power comes from the spirit of God living in us, and it helps us control our impulses.

In gentleness, our actions express themselves in service to the weak and powerless among us.

This is not a word that describes a wimp; it describes someone who is not afraid to step into injustice or brokenness to instigate change.

Paul tells us to clothe ourselves with patience.

Patience – This word can be translated as long-suffering.

It means to put up with something for a long time before getting angry or giving up.

Clothing yourself in patience allows you to love people who are hard to love and serve people who are hard to serve.

Patience is the key to becoming someone who looks like Jesus, because spiritual maturity does not happen overnight.

And none of these attributes come naturally to us.

We must choose them and put them on.

We have to clothe ourselves with them.

Clothe Yourselves With These Things

Which is all Paul is saying here.

Colossians 3:13–14 NIV - Anglicised

Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

And you will notice the theme here is love.

In order to really love others, we have to put love into action.

To move from ugly actions to godly ones starts with love.

Look at 1 John 4 really quickly . . .

1 John 4:8–12 NIV - Anglicised

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No-one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

Altar/Challenge

It is all centered on our ability to actually love other people.

So, what have our actions been like?

Have they been greedy and selfish or actions rooted and centered in love?

And if they have not been what God expects of us, what are we willing to do about it?

Let’s pray.