MELVIN NEWLAND, MINISTER
RIDGE CHAPEL, KANSAS, OK
(REVISED: 2017)
Text: Colossians 3:15-17; John 14:27; Romans 12:18
It is interesting to visit other congregations & observe how they do some things differently than we do. For example, the way in which congregations close their worship service.
Most congregations, after the sermon & invitation, will have a closing prayer & the service is over. That is what we do, but we usually join hands as we pray.
Some add a closing chorus sung by a choir or by the entire congregation. Others have everyone turn & greet their fellow worshippers, asking God’s blessings upon them before concluding the service.
Some churches are much more formal than that. After the benediction the choir & leaders of the congregation, led by the minister, form a procession & proceed down the center aisle before the congregation is dismissed.
One particular minister closes his service the same way every Sunday. For years now, following the prayer, he stands alone in the center aisle, holding his Bible high, & quotes Colossians 3:15-17, which says:
“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 & admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns & 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 Christ, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
Years of repeating these same words every Sunday – why? Well, he says,
(Bible PowerPoint)
“I repeat these words each week to remind us that as Christians our sole source of authority in life is this book! We are to live by its teachings, not the fickle feelings of experience, not the flawed tenets of human intellect, not the easily forgotten rationales behind tradition. No, this book is to be our guide in faith & practice.
“Since the words of this Book are not man's, but God's…, we need to remem-ber to use this book every day as a handbook for living, as God intended.”
I agree. So let’s look carefully at what this passage of Scripture is saying.
I. LET THE PEACE OF CHRIST RULE IN YOUR HEARTS
It begins with the Apostle Paul telling us, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts…” Notice that word “rule.”
In the original Greek of the Bible "rule" is an athletic term used to designate the power of the officials in the games.
(Referee PowerPoint) We call them “referees” or “judges” or “umpires” today. They controlled the action on the field of play. When the referee "ruled" that decision determined the result!
Remember, in Romans 12:18 we are told, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Let the peace of Christ "rule" – & that will determine the result.
But who or what actually does rule in our hearts? If you let worry have its way – there will be no peace. If you let complaining & criticizing control – there will be no peace. If you let guilt grip you – there will be no peace. If you let anger or bitterness or hatred or revenge rule – there will be no peace!
ILL. For many years, more than a century ago, Argentina & Chile had been on the brink of war with each other over boundary disputes. Finally they realized the horror & futility of a war between them & they agreed to a peaceful solution.
(Statue PowerPoint) Then in 1904, to commemorate this peace agreement, they melted down some of their cannons & used the metal to fashion a large statue of Christ on the mountainous boundary between the two countries.
On the base of that statue was placed these words:: “Sooner shall these mountains crumble into dust than Chileans and Argentinians break the peace which at the feet of Christ, the Redeemer, they have sworn to maintain.”
And amid the mountain peaks of the Andes that huge statue still stands. They call it “Christ the Redeemer of the Andes.” (Wikipedia)
Jesus said in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled & do not be afraid.”
Jesus also said, “Blessed are the peacemakers.” (Matthew 5:9) Scripture tells us that we promote peace by putting the needs of others ahead of our own. And we also promote peace by forgiving those who have sinned against us.
ILL. I came across this prayer of a married woman. “Lord, I pray: for Wisdom - to understand my man; for Love - to forgive him; for Patience - to handle his moods. Because, Lord, if I pray for Strength, I'm afraid I might beat him to death. Amen.” (Sermoncentral.com. Submitted by Russell Brownworth)
We promote peace by praying for people & with them. We promote peace by speaking well of them, especially behind their back. We promote peace by refusing to gossip & grumble, which Scripture calls sin. We promote peace by seeking the good in people & praising them for it.
You make the choice & God will make the change. Let Jesus rule in your life & His peace will rule in your heart, your words, your relationships, & your attitude.
With His strength you can triumph over your struggles. With His peace you can be calm in the chaos & have confidence despite the confusion around you.
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” (Colossians 3:15)
II. LET THE WORD OF CHRIST DWELL IN YOU RICHLY
Next, Paul says in vs. 16, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach & admonish one another with all wisdom, & as you sing psalms, hymns & spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.”
“Let the Word of Christ dwell in you…” To “dwell in you” means to let the Word of Christ, through the Holy Spirit, move in & take up residency in you to remodel your life, remake your priorities, reshape your thinking, & replace your old life with His new life for all eternity!
ILL. Someone wrote, “This Book is the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, & the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding; its histories are true…
"Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, & comfort to cheer you. It is the traveler’s map, the pilot’s compass, the soldier’s sword, & the Christian’s character.
"Here paradise is restored, heaven opened, & the gates of hell exposed. Christ is its subject, our good its purpose, & the glory of God its end.
"It should fill the memory, rule the heart, & guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, & prayerfully. Follow its precepts & it will lead you to Calvary, to the empty tomb, to a resurrected life in Christ; & yes, to glory itself for all eternity."
So when it comes to the Word of God – Love it! Learn it! Live it! Get into His Word so that His Word can get into you. We need its guidance because we live in a time of increasing moral confusion, a dark time when it's hard to see what is right & what is wrong.
But God has not left us to grope around in the midst of moral darkness. He has given us the Bible as a written guide to teach us how to live. As Psalm 119:105 puts it, "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet & a light unto my path."
ILL. Paul Powell writes, "Many say the Bible is old fashioned. Well, so is the sun, but without it men grope in darkness. So is the air, but without it men gasp & die. So is water, but without it men go mad. In the midst of the complexities of life, don't forget the Holy Bible. Believe it, read it, & heed it. It holds the key to life."
Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).
III. IN WHATEVER I DO, I WILL SEEK TO PRAISE HIM
Therefore, in whatever I do I will seek to praise Him! Vs. 17 tells us, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of Christ, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
ILL. Lee Strobel writes, "I think if we were to ask Jesus what life is all about He would say, 'If you put Me first, I can write an adventure story with your life, starring you & directed by Me.
"Your life will have drama & meaning & significance & comedy & laughter & tears, & directly & indirectly it will influence more people than you would ever imagine.
"And in the process of giving yourself away, I will fill you back up to over-flowing. It will be the adventure of a lifetime." I like that!
The apostle Paul is a perfect example of that. Listen to him in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ & I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me & gave Himself for me.”
Who lives in you? In me? And who do people see when they look at us?
ILL. The story is told of Gordon Maxwell, missionary to India, that when he asked a Hindu scholar to teach him the language, the Hindu replied: “No, Sahib, I will not teach you my language. You would make me a Christian.”
Gordon Maxwell replied, “You misunderstand me. I am simply asking you to teach me your language.” Again the Hindu responded, “No, Sahib, I will not teach you. No man can live with you & not become a Christian.” Wow! What a testimony Maxwell's life must have been!
“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of Christ, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
It is amazing what an attitude of gratitude can do for you, & in you! But sadly, there are many whose lives barely exhibit any gratitude at all.
ILL. The story is told of two old friends who bumped into each other on the street. One of them looked miserable, almost on the verge of tears. His friend asked, “What has the world done to you, old friend?”
The sad fellow said, “Let me tell you. Three weeks ago my uncle died & left me $40,000.” “Congratulations. That’s a lot of money!”
“Then 2 weeks ago, a cousin I never even knew died & left me $85,000.” “Well, it sounds like you have really been blessed!” “You don’t understand,” he interrupted. “Last week my great aunt died & I inherited a quarter of a million dollars more.”
His friend was really confused. “Then why do you look so glum?” he asked. The sad fellow sighed, “This week – nothing.” (Contributor: Jeff Simms-Sermoncentral.com)
Paul says (Philippians 4:8), "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things."
Giving thanks will change your perspective & your priorities. Instead of looking for the bad – you’ll be looking for the good. You’ll be more content with less complaint. You’ll count your blessings, not your burdens.
You’ll be grateful for what you have – & less greedy for what you don’t have. You’ll be hope-filled & not helpless. You’ll look for what’s right & not always looking for what’s wrong. But there are many whose lives are not like that at all!
ILL. I want to sum up my message this morning by telling about a Church that was celebrating the retirement of their preacher who had been with them for 30 years. They especially invited all the people he had married, & all he had baptized. It was a memorable occasion!
(Shepherd PowerPoint) During the service, one of the members, a well-known actor, recited the 23rd Psalm. He recited it flawlessly, with perfect diction, precise inflections, raising & lowering his voice with great effect. It was a perfect recitation of the Psalm.
When he finished, the audience burst forth in overwhelming applause. They were so deeply moved by his recitation.
As the service drew to a close, the old preacher stood up & thanked every¬body for what they had done. He said, "I want especially to thank my friend here for reciting the 23rd Psalm. As you know, it's my favorite Psalm."
And then, as old preachers sometimes do, he rambled on a bit in his remarks & ended up reciting the 23rd Psalm himself.
"The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul."
He went all the way through the Psalm. And when he finished there was no applause, just complete silence. His diction had not been perfect. His voice was weak, & his inflection left something to be desired. But after he finished, there were tears in almost every eye.
The actor leaned over to the person next to him & said, "Do you know the difference? I know the Psalm, but he knows the Shepherd."
CONCL. That's the reason we read the Word of God, to get to know the Shepherd of our souls. We extend His invitation this morning, & we pray that you will accept Him as your Savior, & His Word as a guidebook for your life.
Will you come as we stand & sing together?
