Series: Be
Week: 3
Passage: Colossians 3:12
Title: Five More Things to “Be”
Focus: Christian Living
Introduction: The definition of “be” points to three basic factors: (1) identity, (2) quality and (3) condition of a person or thing.
• First Week: Talked about “being” motivated to be (1) strong (“Steadfast” - 1 Corinthians 15:58a) (2) Steady (“Immovable” – 1 Corinthians 15:58b) and (3) Successful (“Abounding” – 1 Corinthians 15:58c).
• Last Week: Talked about being joyful by (1) participating and (2) proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ.
If the goal of the Christian is to be like Christ, then we have some work to do not only in being motivated or joyful but also in being reliable. (Read Colossians 3:12-17)
Introduction to Book: Colosse was an agricultural town located in what we would know as modern day Turkey about 110 miles away from Ephesus. Some Christians in Colosse were passing judgment on others for not participating in Jewish food/drink restrictions (2:16) or observing OT festival (2:16, 2:23) leading to mutual offense for both Jewish and Gentile Christians. Paul therefore writes to the people for three reasons…
• Confirm the faith (belief that Jesus has come) of the Colossians (2:4-5)
• Watch out (guard and protect) the “new” Christians (2:8)
• Warn against doing what was not right (2:16,18)
Paul knew oppression was always at the forefront but in order fro the NT church to grow the people must not only be reliable to Christ but also each other keeping Christ as the head, standing on guard, teaching with joy, and living “above reproach”. He gives five more tings to “be”…
#1: Be Compassionate
• Explanation: Compassion means to “tender sympathy of heartfelt compassion”. A compassionate heart is a touching expression. Paul used the word to address the Church in Philippi…
o “His love comforts you. You have fellowship with the Spirit,[a and you have kindness and compassion for one another.” Philippians 2:1
• Compassion is comforting the uncomforted. It’s a fellowship of Christians with tenderness.
• Illustration: Starfish on the shoreline
• Application: A compassionate heart seeks out the unity no matter how easy or difficult the person, place or situation!
#2: Be Kind
• Explanation: Kindness is (1) love in action (2 Corinthians 6:6 “showing ourselves to be God’s servants.”) and (2) action from God’s chosen people to others (Colossians 3:12 “You are the people of God; he loved you and chose you for his own. So then, you must…”).
• Illustration: Mother asked her six-year-old what loving-kindness meant. "Well," he said, "when I ask you for a piece of bread and butter and you give it to me, that's kindness, but when you put jam on it, that's loving-kindness."
• Application: Kindness is acting on the needs of those around us. We must look for and seek out ways in which we can show the love of Christ.
#3: Be Humble
• Explanation: Humility means a “lowly attitude toward God”. Humility shows dependence on God and respect for other people. Humility is (1) obedience to the Lord (Deuteronomy 8:2 “Remember the whole way that the LORD your God.”) and (2) submission to the Lord (2 Kings 22:19 “Your heart was penitent, and you humbled yourself before the Lord.”)
• Illustration: D.L. Moody said, “Be humble or you stumble.”
• Application: Proverbs claims that the blessing for those who will humble themselves is wisdom (Proverbs 11:2) and honor (Proverbs 15:33).
o Be obedient and submissive to the ways of the Lord!
#4: Be Gentle
• Explanation: Gentleness here means meek - “a lowly attitude toward others”. The meek have a calm temper of mind. James said, “By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.” (James 3:13)
• Illustration: At their school carnival, our kids won four free goldfish (lucky us!), so out I went Saturday morning to find an aquarium. The first few I priced ranged from $40 to $70. Then I spotted it—right in the aisle: a discarded 10-gallon display tank, complete with gravel and filter—for a mere five bucks. Sold! Of course, it was nasty dirty, but the savings made the two hours of clean-up a breeze. Those four new fish looked great in their new home, at least for the first day. But by Sunday one had died. Too bad, but three remained. Monday morning revealed a second casualty, and by Monday night a third goldfish had gone belly up. We called in an expert, a member of our church who has a 30-gallon tank. It didn’t take him long to discover the problem: I had washed the tank with soap, an absolute no-no. My uninformed efforts had destroyed the very lives I was trying to protect.
o Sometimes in our enthusiasm to clean up our own lives or the lives of others, we unfortunately use “killer soaps”—condemnation, criticism, nagging, fits of temper. We think we’re doing right, but our harsh, self-righteous treatment is more than they can bear.
• Application: Being gentle means we put ourselves in the circumstances of others. We feel what they feel and then exercise compassion.
#5: Be Patient
• Explanation: Patience means to be self-controlled when facing frustration. “You be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might” when enduring these hardship so that your attitude of joy will increase. (1:11). We must be (1) Be patient with God - Psalm 75:2 “I will judge with equity.” (Let God judge!) and (2) patient with each other - Ephesians 4:2 “Bearing with one another in love.” (you sin just as much as he does!)
• Illustration: “True patience is waiting without worrying.” C. Swindoll
• Application: Patience that overlooks a multitude of offenses, bears with human failure, prays for when to show mercy and kindness, and gives control over our souls to God and allows Him to do His work.
Conclusion: How do we continue to let Christ’s peace rule in our hearts? Have (1) Compassionate (2) Kind (3) Humble (4) Gentle and (5) Patience.
“And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:15-17
