One Thankful Body (Colossians 3.12-17)

Sermon by: Robert Austell; November 19, 2017 - Colossians 3:12-17

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:: Testimony by Cynthia Wiley ::
What has God been teaching you or doing with you recently?



:: Scripture and Music ::
Every Praise (Hezekiah Walker, John David Bratton)
Forever (Chris Tomlin)
Jesus Christ is the Way (Dawn Anthony, soloist; w/choir) (Hawkins/Bean)
Only What is Done for Christ Will Remain (Dawn Anthony, soloist)
Love Divine, All Loves Excelling (BEECHER)
 
:: Sermon Manuscript (pdf) ::
This "manuscript" represents an early draft of the sermon. Some weeks the spoken version varies more than others from the early manuscript. Nevertheless, if you'd prefer to read than to listen, this is provided  for that purpose.

We’ve spent a number of weeks talking about the body as a picture of what it means to be the Church and to be a Christian. Last week we added building imagery: foundations, materials, and a building plan – to talk about God’s purpose of setting us apart to be in community with Him and for Him in this world. Today we return – in a way – to the body imagery to talk about the character of a follower of Christ. But the wonderful picture the Apostle Paul begins with in Colossians is not a body, per se, but the image of clothing a body. Using something we do every day – getting dressed – Paul will challenge us to “put on” the qualities and character of Jesus Christ. Following Jesus means being like Jesus. And this is a particularly easy to understand word-picture. Having said that, I appreciate that the passage doesn’t just start with the dressing. Rather, it starts with our identity – WHO WE ARE in Christ. And then it moves to HOW WE ARE using several more images or metaphors to help us understand how our identity in Christ shapes our relationship to others, to ourselves, and with God.

WHO You Are (v.12)

Beginning then in Colossians 3:12, those who have put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ are called “chosen of God, holy and beloved.”  Have you ever considered that, or is church just something you do?  If you trust in Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are chosen of God and you are holy AND beloved.  We talked some about ‘holy’ (or ‘consecrated’) last week – it doesn’t mean you are perfect, but means that your belonging to God is evident in your life… you are distinctly His. Having begun with who we are, Paul goes on in great detail to describe what makes a Christian so distinct: HOW WE ARE in the world.  How should we be identifiable as belonging to God, like we talked about last week.  There is a list of ways.

HOW You Are Dressed (vv.12-14)

In verse 12, those who belong to Jesus are supposed to look like Jesus.  Paul uses “put on” to describe a list of character traits and this is the same word for putting on clothes.  We are to put on the character of Christ each day just like we get dressed for the day.  Here’s the list, and listen for the outcome of dressing this way.  “Put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.”  And here’s how that kind of Christ-like character bears fruit in the world around us.  Those character traits will cause us to bear with and forgive each other, just like Jesus did with us. How you are dressed profoundly shapes and affects how we interact with OTHERS.

Remember the ending point last week, which was repeated at the beginning of verse 12 today… we are to be consecrated or holy.  That doesn’t mean holier-than-thou and doesn’t mean perfect; it means set apart as distinct for God’s honor or glory.  We are to be identifiable as belonging to God in such a way that we rub off on others in a positive and credible way.  That’s what Paul is describing here.  A Christian isn’t the one with the best church attendance record or who has given the most money, but one who daily dresses with the character of Christ, resulting in the kind of holy impact God designed us for… showing others the grace we have experienced from God.

An interesting, and perhaps helpful, exercise would be to think through what you are going to “put on” each morning as you begin your day. Some people do this with the spiritual armor described in Ephesians 6 (which you could also do in addition to this!). Or if you ever struggle to know how to begin your day with God, this would be an excellent discipline and habit to cultivate. Perhaps even while you actually get dressed, choose one of these Christ-like characteristics and think or say out loud as you put on each article of literal clothing: [socks] “Today I put on humility.” [pants] “Today I put on gentleness.” [shirt] “Today I put on compassion.” … and so forth. It is part of the strength of this metaphor that we should no more consider going about our day without these traits as we should going about it without our clothes!

Paul is just getting started though.  In verse 14, he adds one more trait we should wear daily, and it is even more important – “beyond all these things”; it is love.  He doesn’t say as much about love, only noting that it is the “perfect bond of unity,” but he does say that it is most important. And then he changes metaphors slightly and keeps building his message.

HOW You Are Ruled (v.15)

In verse 15 Paul writes, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts… and be thankful.”  He says a little bit about the peace – it is our purpose and flows out of the unity that he previously mentioned as a result of love.  And he includes thankfulness, our theme for today.  Thankfulness is a sign that Jesus is ruling in your hearts… that you belong to God.  If I rule my own heart, if my passions and interests are self-serving, I will only be thankful to myself, and that turns to greed.  But if I belong to God then my gratitude to God will result in a willing service, offered freely.  This will not be the only time thankfulness is mentioned in this passage.

As a spiritual practice, you might include this as you begin your day as well: “Today, I remember that Jesus Christ is my King; I serve Him with obedience and joy.” Or you may find yourself wanting to remind yourself of His rule as you come up to people, places, or situations that can challenge that rule: pulling into work, arriving at school, going out with the peer group – “Jesus Christ is my King; I serve Him with obedience and joy.”

We often speak of Jesus as Lord. This not only describes giving our lives to follow and serve Jesus. It also reveals our interior lives, whether our lives are yielded to his rule or whether we continue to serve ourselves and practice self-rule. How you are ruled defines how you are with your SELF.

HOW You Fill Your House (v.16)

Then Paul offers a third metaphor of Jesus living or dwelling within us.  Paul speaks in verse 16 of the “word of Christ,” which could be the message about Jesus or the content of Jesus’ teaching, or both.  The result of that Word living in us is, again, a rubbing off on those around us as that Word bubbles forth in wise teaching, admonishing, and singing.  I recalls the imagery and booklet I mentioned last week: My Heart Christ’s Home. If our lives are pictured as a house, we must ask what is our foundation, what are the building materials, and how do we fill and use the ‘rooms’ of our lives. Paul teaches us here to let the Word of Christ dwell or inhabit the spiritual house that is our life.

If you’d like a spiritual practice or discipline for this area, consider acting on the lessons in that small booklet. It does not matter if you haven’t read it. The point is that it compares the rooms of an actual house with the areas of your life. Try a walk through your home sometime, considering the words, messages, and content found in each one: food in the kitchen and eating area, tv and computer in a den or other room, closets with things hidden away or forgotten. As you compare each actual room in your home with areas of your heart or mind, picture the “Word of Christ” in each area. Pray in your den or entertainment area, “Lord, let the Word of Christ fill me even when I am here.” Or there’s the old Jewish practice of writing God’s Word on the doorpost. Some folks like to put scripture up on the walls of rooms of their house. That’s literal, but a great picture of what God invites in this passage: His Word permeating every area of our lives, not just the activity of going to church.

Note again the word “thankfulness” describing our singing of the Word of Christ. How you fill (or how God fills) the house that is you demonstrates and testifies to how you are with GOD.

All in the Name (v. 17)

Finally, in verse 17, Paul gathers up all that has gone before – our identity and the character of Christ – and issues a blanket challenge: “Whatever you do in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus.”  Taken literally, that may sound like we are supposed to tack on, “in the name of Jesus” to everything we say or do. 

“Let me get that door for you… in the name of Jesus!” 

“Can I bring you some dinner tonight in the name of Jesus?”

Rather, that “in the name of Jesus” is a way of pulling together all the powerful metaphors Paul has already used.  He has challenged us to dress ourselves daily in the character of Christ.  He has challenged us to let Christ rule our hearts.  He has challenged us to have the Word of Christ take residence in our lives.  “In the name of” is simply describing a life given fully to Jesus Christ.  It means claiming the identity that God has already declared.  It means saying ‘yes’ to belonging to God.  It means that “Christian” (which is taking on the name of Christ) is not just about what you do, but about who you are.

What Paul is saying here is that if you belong to God, then belong to God.  Take on the family name, but not just externally or for show, but as the very essence of who you are.

And then, interestingly, in that summary sentence, we are reminded one last time to give thanks.  “Whatever you do… BE and BELONG to Jesus… and give thanks to God.”  Something to ponder deeply this Thanksgiving week… something to ponder deeply any time.

Who are you?  Who does God say you are?  What does that mean?  Are you thankful about it? 

I think the thankfulness comes when we realize whose we are and what that means, because that’s truly amazing when you really grab hold of it and God grabs hold of you.  Amen.