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Colossians 3:12-14
“We are God’s Reflection”
“The People of God are to reflect the qualities of God.”
02.03.08
Intro:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e0EQlQXoEo
(Start with title and text)
Intro:
That’s a good song – it’s horrible theology. Let’s see if you are awake this morning – finish this verse – (Advance) For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him…shall not perish but have eternal life. Who doesn’t know that verse, right? From the time our children are small we teach them about God’s love. We explain God’s love in terms that it has been demonstrated. (Advance) Romans 5:8 (NIV)But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, (What did Christ do?) Christ died for us.
Discussion:
I want to suggest something this morning – our world – the one the Bible says God loved so much – our world doesn’t have a clue about the love of God. It’s not that God stopped loving the world. God has always and will always love the world. The world doesn’t have a clue about the love of God because His people (that’s us) we can demonstrate something less than his love. We can demonstrate something less than his holiness, and his compassion. If the church (that’s us) doesn’t really embrace and live out the love of God – the world (those outside the church) will never have the opportunity to embrace his love for themselves. It’s easy for the world to get the idea that God is in heaven waiting for them to fail, and fall, and sin – so that he can cut them down and cut them off. Church, they only get that idea because sometimes we (his people) don’t reflect the God we serve.
Please don’t take this as preaching against Johnny Cash or that song or that video – I wouldn’t waste your time with that. What I want us to do this morning is take the impression the video gives us and learn from it – and realize – we might be the only reflection of the demonstration of God’s love. There are many people, who are living the idea that God hates them, or doesn’t have a plan for their lives, or that they are worthless – when the truth is God loves them very much. God’s desire for them and for us is salvation – Paul says, (Advance) 1 Timothy 2:3-4 (NIV) This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. – Jesus tells us in John that HE is truth. It is the desire of God for people to come and know his son, not just know him but to embrace the love he represents. How can they do that – unless you and I embrace it, and live it, daily in our own lives. Why would they want to – if we don’t embrace and live it daily. (Advance) The people of God are to reflect the qualities of God. If there is a quality of God that will bring people to know and love him and understand his love for them – it is our duty and our purpose to live out those qualities.
Turn with me if you have your Bibles this morning Colossians 3:12-14 (Read) (Advance)
Our text tells us three things we should reflect as the people of God.
(Advance)
I. Reflect Your Chosenness
That’s a new word – chosenness. God has chosen you for a purpose – (Advance)
Ephesians 2:10 (NIV) we are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
a. You have a purpose
i. But it’s not just to warm a chair – sing a few songs – hear some excellent preaching and go home. – Your Purpose
ii. Is to do good works – according to what he has prepared for you to do
1. They will not be independent of a prayer life
2. They will not be independent of personal study
3. As you grow in your Christian walk – God will put people and service opportunities in front of you – so that you can glorify him and continue to grow.
b. You have a place – you were chosen – the Biblical picture is ADOPTION (Advance)
Ephesians 1:5 (NIV) he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—(Advance)
– Look at the titles he gives to the church – (Advance) God’s chosen people
1 Peter 2:9 (NIV) But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
c. You are (Advance) holy – set apart – special – righteous – We are holy because God makes us that way. Leaning on him – makes you holy. Trusting in him – makes you holy. Holiness is a process of growth, and wisdom.
d. (Advance) You are dearly loved – “beloved” – this word described Israel, as God’s possession. Paul is saying we are now God’s possession – his people – (Advance) his beloved.
You belong in the family of God. God made each of us with the special need of love. Listen, he completely fulfills that need by his own love for us. Regardless if the world chooses you or not – God has given each of us a pathway for adoption in to his family – that we may be joint heirs with Christ.
e. Reflect your chosen position
I know many people – Christian people who reflect something other than their chosen position in Christ. They are a mess, powerless, hopeless, prayer-less, and when something goes wrong – they run. David understood his chosen position – He looked at God as his shepherd (Advance)
Psalm 23:4 (NIV) – Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Because you are chosen by God he has given you and equipped you with everything you need for this life – which includes his presence through the Holy Spirit living in you. To truly reflect our position in God’s family – we must change, not just our clothes but our life style. God has some excellent characteristics and his children should be a reflection of him. Listen to these – (Advance)
f. 5 characteristics of God that we should reflect:
i. Compassion – Literally heartfelt compassion
Nehemiah is an excellent book – He was a Godly man, well respected. Nehemiah was given the charge the task of rebuilding the walls around Jerusalem – In the 9th chapter is a description of the cycle of Israel turning away from God and coming back to God -- It lists all the things they had done against God – and God’s response. This is compassion – (Advance)
Nehemiah 9:16-21 (NIV) "But they, our forefathers, became arrogant and stiff-necked, and did not obey your commands. They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them. They became stiff-necked and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery. But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore you did not desert them, even when they cast for themselves an image of a calf and said, ’This is your god, who brought you up out of Egypt,’ or when they committed awful blasphemies."Because of your great compassion you did not abandon them in the desert. By day the pillar of cloud did not cease to guide them on their path, nor the pillar of fire by night to shine on the way they were to take. You gave your good Spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold your manna from their mouths, and you gave them water for their thirst. For forty years you sustained them in the desert; they lacked nothing, their clothes did not wear out nor did their feet become swollen.
This is mercy – this is relating to the struggles and not excusing their sin, but wanting to help them grow out of it, through the mercy of Jesus. Compassion is what Jesus did when he touched the leaper before healing him. Compassion is lived out when Jesus is being beaten and bruised – the Bible says that he didn’t strike back. When the father is on the porch waiting for his youngest son to return – and declares that celebration must take place because what was lost has come home – church, that’s compassion.
If you are far away from Jesus this morning – That same compassion is offered by God. Just like the Israelites – we won’t be abandoned in the desert. – He is compassion and his people (that’s us) we should be compassionate people – Tomorrow – next week – 3 months from now when you see someone who is hurting, a lone, desperate and away from God – have compassion on them. Let God take care of the judgment part – What would happen to the image of the Body of Christ if we reflected God’s compassion – it would change our world, and it starts with us, with our families in our homes, schools, the break rooms and lunch rooms. It starts with you and me reflecting this image of God’s compassion for those who are lost – and doing whatever it takes to bring them back home.
ii. Kindness –
This is another characteristic that we should “put on” and reflect in our lives as people of God. God is a kind. Biblically when people are instructed to be kind it refers to the response of someone who is in distress. When God is the subject it speaks of his love for people in general. (Advance)
Titus 3:3-6 (NIV) At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. 4But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior,
Being kind is not easy – it’s as hard to wear sometimes as the last one—patience. It is fruit of the spirit that will live in us as we grow in our Christian lives.
iii. Humility & Gentleness
Humility is a good and rare thing. Also translated “meekness” – it describes Jesus as he humbled himself even to death on a cross. Thinking of others before yourself. This is the “He must increase and I must decrease” attitude. Meekness is to characterize the lives of Christians in relation to fellow-believers who have sinned by bearing one another’s burdens – Paul says they “fulfill the law of Christ”. We should be humble and gentle people.
iv. Patience
Have you ever been struck in traffic and come to the realization that you are the only one qualified to drive a car? This always happens to me – in a hurry people are stopped at green lights and push their way through on Red lights. I guess I get more verbal than I should – because it’s wearing off on Hailey. She attends dance class every Monday night – and we were on our way and traffic was a little thick – we’re stopped at a red light and she yells from the back seat – COME ON PEOPLE!
God is and has been patient with his creation. He will continue his patience and we should to. Here’s the truth – our very patient God does not want anyone to be away from him for eternity – the Biblical word is perish. Just like a whiny child and a grouchy husband can wear thin the patience of a devoted mother and wife – there will be a time when God’s patience stops and judgment starts. While it seems like that might never come in our lifetime – it will come when you pass from this life. Your days and your tomorrows are not promised. Because God desires that we reach salvation – he is patient with us – and salvation should be our goal as we are patient with those inside and outside the body of Christ. Patient with the waitress this afternoon, patient with traffic on the way to work tomorrow – patient with the boss, or the employee – not just patience – but patience with a purpose.
We should reflect our chosenness – our adopted status in the family of God. Two other main things we should reflect. (Advance)
II. Reflect Forgiveness (13)
Paul was no dummy – he knew from time to time there would be reasons to forgive inside the body of Christ. (Advance)
Colossians 3:13 (NIV) Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
He tells them to bear with each other and forgive. We can’t offer the forgiveness of Jesus to those outside – without first accepting it and living it – inside. I know these four walls are a blessing – but picture for a moment a church who lives this forgiveness every day, over and over. Think of the impact we would have in our community, in our schools, in our homes – in the lives of our children. Think of the happiness and joy you could bring to your family if you didn’t harbor resentment and hurt from past experiences. This isn’t easy – I’m right there with you. Maybe that’s the reason someone had to die to offer us forgiveness – because it wasn’t easy. Maybe that’s the reason someone went to the cross – for my sin instead of his – he didn’t have any sin. If I see those who sin against me in view of my own sin against God – it changes things.
a. Because we are forgiven people – we should forgive those around us
You won’t do this by your own strength – I promise you. As much as I love you, and know you are good people – Forgiveness assumes being sinned against. We’re going to start this morning and reflect this forgiveness – I know some of you are on the edge of your seat – saying I want to this – until it involves my children, my time, my passions, my work, my influence, my pride, my health. “I’m right there with you preacher – but I can’t go all the way.” It’s Jesus who steps in and takes us the rest of the way and we become people who forgive. People who not only reflect forgiveness to each other but the forgiveness we have received from the Lord. Forgiveness is easy until it involves another person.
b. Forgiveness is not agreeing with or giving an applause to what has been done
Forgiveness simply takes the relationship back to the place it was before the sin occurred. We are given stories of forgiveness in the parables of Jesus – the prodigal son is huge – In Luke 7 Jesus is having dinner with a Pharisee and a women “who lived a sinful life” learned that Jesus was having dinner she brought a jar of perfume and his feet became wet with her tears – she kissed his feet and poured the perfume on them. We’ll pick up the story in verse 39 (Advance)
Luke 7:39-43 (NIV) When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner."Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you." "Tell me, teacher," he said. "Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?" Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled." "You have judged correctly," Jesus said.
The King James Version says (v. 42) – that the money lender “frankly forgave” the debts. He was done. He didn’t carry it around any longer – he didn’t hold it over their heads – the idea was it was freedom for him as it was for them.
c. Reflect his forgiveness
i. Forgive those around you – not because you are wonderful but because God is wonderful.
ii. If you are holding on to un-forgiveness – ask God to release you from that burden.
iii. If you need forgiveness – take those steps and make the situation right.
Expect a need for healing, and resolution – ask and trust that God will see you through, and know he will bless when you do the right thing.
Reflect your chosenness Reflect forgiveness – here’s the third(Advance)
III. Reflect Love(Advance)
Colossians 3:14 (NIV) And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Is there ever a good time to withdraw love? (Shake your head) This means NO. One commentary says, “Paul urged the Colossians to put on love above all these other things. It was uniquely important to their social well-being.”
As we move forward in the direction of our church – we will only do so as that direction reflects the love of God. We are a loving church – I think we have a good grip on what this refection looks like. It’s easy to love each other – we see each other once or twice a week – always smiling, always happy. I want to suggest something – Paul tells them to love because they could find themselves around people and situations that were hard to love. As we invite those who are outside to come inside, the love of God will be the only thing that will allow us to grow together with them in Christ. They might get your chair, they might look different – and that’s ok – because one day we won’t be warming a chair – we’ll be kneeling before a throne – and if we reflect God’s love we’ll be together.
Conclusion:
Our children are a reflection of us. Hailey will do things and I just cringe because I know I did the same thing. She’s a combination of two people – the kids aren’t in here, right? She has my eyes, my nose – she doesn’t sing very well – but she doesn’t know it (that comes from me too). I could list the characteristics that she has because of me because they are clear, and they come natural to her. She was not adopted into our family, those traits are apart of who she is, naturally.
As Children of God – we are adopted, into his family – the characteristics of the father, kindness, love, forgiveness, compassion – those are not natural with us. Paul didn’t just say – be who you are. He’s not that stupid – he wants us to reach higher than who we are – and be like Jesus, and when people look at our church, and our lives the reflection won’t be the natural one, but one that has been reborn and transformed.
Is God in the business of cutting people down – no, he’s not. But how will the world know that if we don’t first live it, and reflect it?
Let’s pray.
