Get Closer To God- Everything In The Name Of Jesus Series

Series: Action [#162]

GET CLOSER TO GOD-

EVERYTHING IN THE NAME OF JESUS

Colossians 3:5-17

Introduction:

What a challenging week. School started on Wednesday and it was the toughest 1st day of School that I have had in 13 years. Karen is teaching 2nd Grade for Hobbs Schools this year at Will Rogers Elementary School. 1 of the main things that I do is manage the HVAC schedules and temperatures for the District. On Wednesday morning early, 4 of the Schools with boiler/chiller systems did not turn on- 1 of those Schools was Will Rogers. I called Willard with Honeywell, and he was on the way to the Freshman School to restart the chiller and then to Will Rogers. 3 of the 4 Schools started right up; but not Will Rogers. The motor and back up motor burned up, and these old motors are irreplaceable. The motors had to be rebuilt in El Paso and did not show up to Hobbs until late Friday. On Wednesday, I spent the entire School Day at Will Rogers helping the Staff and Students deal with 80F temperatures. Will Rogers did not have School on Thursday or Friday, (which did not go over well with the Administration).

While Wednesday was a very challenging day, the Staff and Students at Will Rogers taught me a valuable lesson- You can be joyful and peaceful regardless of the situation. I had Staff from other Schools calling me very angry about 1 or 2 rooms in the building being 74F; while the Staff at Will Rogers was only positive although it was in the 80’s. Our text tells us to do everything we do in the name of Jesus.

Colossians 3:17

How do you do everything in the name of Jesus when everything seems to be against you? How do you get it right all of the time? Our text gives us the answers.

Colossians 3:5-9a

You do everything in the name of Jesus by…

1. Putting to death whatever belongs to your flesh.

The flesh is your will. We are told countless times that as a Christian, the Holy Spirit of God that lives within us and the flesh are at war. God is telling us to kill everything that is of the flesh. In fact, we are given a list of several types of sin- Sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed. Then we are given an additional list- Anger, rage, malice, slander, filthy language, and lying to each other.

The result of sin is eternal death. All unsaved people walk in sin. That is what lost people do and it is what each one of us walked in before we were saved. God despises sin so bad that He will one day pour out His wrath upon this earth and destroy it. What is He waiting on?

Colossians 3:9b-14

You do everything in the name of Jesus by…

2. Taking off your old self and putting on the new self.

Notice that it says, “Since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self”. It is assumed that Christians have already got rid of the old and have put on the new. This is not determined by where you are from or your occupation- It has been done through Jesus. The evidence of this is the fruit of the Spirit.

Galatians 5:22-23

Not only are we to bear fruit, we are to bear with each other. That means we are to put up with each other when no one else will. We must forgive each other of all things. Jesus has cleansed us of all our sins through His blood. We didn’t deserve that; but He did it anyhow.

Colossians 3:15-16

You do everything in the name of Jesus by…

3. Letting the peace of Christ rule in your heart and letting the Message of Christ dwell in you.

Christians are to be peaceful, thankful, and full of the Message of Christ. Notice that the Message of Christ comes from teaching, preaching, fellowship, and singing.

Conclusion:

Colossians 3:17