GETTING A NEW WARDROBE PART 2
Text: Col. 3:12-17
Introduction
1. Illustration: Fashion is made to become unfashionable.
2. Fashion is kind of like the weather in Ohio; if you don't like stick around a few minuets it will change!
3. Recently Tina and I were having a conversation with our Network Pastor John Wooten. I made the comment that I have lost so much weight that even the things I wore in college are too big for me now. Pastor Wooten responded, "Mark, that's probably not a bad thing!"
4. Perhaps with all of the constant changes in fashion we should clothe ourselves in things that don't change. Like...
A. Put On Mercy
B. Put On Love
C. Put On Christ
5. Let's stand together this morning, our of respect for the Word of God, as we read Col. 3:12-17.
Proposition: Let's clothe ourselves with things that never go out of style.
Transition: One thing that never goes out of style is mercy.
I. Put On Mercy (12-13).
A. Tenderhearted Mercy
1. There's a funny thing about clothing; people judge you by your clothing.
A. If a man is wearing a suit and tie, especially in Mount Gilead, he's either a lawyer, judge or a doctor.
B. If we see someone dressed in worn out sweat pants and a dirty, holey t-shirt they're a slob or don't care a lot about their appearance (or they're a Wal-Mart shopper)!
C. So people judge us, right or wrong, by the clothes we wear.
2. So it shouldn't come to us as a surprise that Paul talks about aspects of our faith and character like a suit of clothes.
3. In v. 12, Paul continues his treatment of Christian character as a wardrobe, but he also reminds us of who we are. He says, "Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience."
A. First, Paul reminds us that we are God's special people, and he has chosen us to be His "holy people."
B. Chosen: Is a combination word from "out of," and "to pick, or gather." This word designates someone picked out of a crowd for special service or privileges (NSFLSB, 1647).
C. Jesus chose us to be his holy, set apart, people. As the men and women of his new creation his desire for us is to reflect his character.
D. Paul, here gives us five characteristics of God's character that he want us to display in our lives.
E. The first of these character traits is "tenderhearted mercy." This is the reaction that Jesus had towards those in need.
F. Mark 6:34 (NLT2)
34 Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.
G. Jesus cared about people, and if we are going to be His people and reflect his character then we need to care about people too.
H. The next attribute of God Paul talks about is kindness, which is listed as one of the aspects of the Fruit of The Spirit in Gal. 5:22.
I. Kindness: This word describes the ability to act for the welfare of those taxing your patience (NSFLSB, 1528).
J. Did you hear that? That means those people who are driving you crazy and you just want to choke the living daylights out of, we have to be nice to them!
K. Jesus taught his disciples to be kind, because God is "kind to the ungrateful and ungenerous," and those who act like him in this way "will be sons of the Most High."
L. The next Godlike quality Paul describes is humility.
M. Humility: Unselfish concern for the welfare of others (NSFLSB, 1421).
N. This actually was not looked upon as a virtue in the ancient world; the word literally meant back then as "mean-spiritedness."
O. However, the Christian faith gave this word a whole new meaning, and in fact, Jesus himself was "gentle and humble in heart."
P. The next Christ-like attribute is that of gentleness, also listed as part of the Fruit of the Spirit in Gal. 5:23, this quality is also known as meekness.
Q. In the OT Moses was seen as gentle because when faced with criticism he did not give into rage but instead prayed for God to be merciful to his offenders.
R. Yet another aspect of the Fruit of the Spirit listed here is patience.
S. Patience: This word describes someone with the power to exercise revenge but instead exercises restraint (NSFLSB, 1618).
T. Like compassion and kindness, patience is something that should be displayed in the lives of disciples of Jesus.
U. In the NT God shows patience not only towards his followers but also towards the unrepentant.
V. Furthermore, Paul in talking about love (which we'll talk more about in a few minuets), in "The Love Chapter," of 1 Cor. 13, says "love is patient" (Bruce, NICNT: The Epistle To The Colossians, 153-155).
W. 1 Corinthians 13:4 (NLT2)
4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud
4. Now because of all these things that we have put on like a suit of clothes, Paul says, "Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others."
A. If we are reflecting all of these attributes of God in our lives then the next thing that Paul says ought to be evident in our lives is forgiveness.
B. Forgiveness: an act in which someone releases another from an offense refusing to enact the penalty due him or her, refusing to sustain consideration of the cause of the offense, and refusing to allow that offense to affect the relationship (NSFLSB, 1562).
C. In fact, Jesus himself said that we should forgive in an immeasurable amount.
D. Matthew 18:21-22 (NLT2)
21 Then Peter came to him and asked, "Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?"
22 "No, not seven times," Jesus replied, "but seventy times seven!"
E. And no, you math nerds, he didn't mean 249 times. He's saying we are to forgive as often as it takes!
F. Furthermore, in his teaching Jesus said that those who seek forgiveness from God must be willing to forgive others.
G. Not that forgiveness is a work that earns us forgiveness, because all forgiveness lies with God, but an unforgiving spirit is a barrier preventing the reception of forgiveness.
H. In fact, Jesus went so far as to say, "if you do not forgive, you will not be forgiven."
B. Considering Others First
1. Illustration: Shane Claiborne, who spent a summer in the slums of Calcutta with Mother Teresa, wrote about her experience there. She said, "People often ask me what Mother Teresa was like. Sometimes it's like they wonder if she glowed in the dark or had a halo. She was short, wrinkled, and precious, maybe even a little ornery” like a beautiful, wise old granny. But there is one thing I will never forget - her feet. Her feet were deformed. Each morning in Mass, I would stare at them. I wondered if she had contracted leprosy. But I wasn't going to ask, of course. ˜Hey Mother, what's wrong with your feet?" One day a sister said to us, ˜Have you noticed her feet?" We nodded, curious. She said: ˜Her feet are deformed because we get just enough donated shoes for everyone, and Mother does not want anyone to get stuck with the worst pair, so she digs through and finds them. And years of doing that have deformed her feet." Years of loving her neighbor as herself deformed her feet. Humility means that our focus is away from ourselves and not on ourselves.
2. Being a true disciple means putting others needs ahead of our own.
A. Philippians 2:3-4 (NLT2)
3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.
4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
B. Being like Jesus means putting others needs ahead of our own, because that's what Jesus did!
C. He gave up his privileges and right as the Son of God and came to earth to become like one of us.
D. When he had the chance to call it quits and say, "I'm not doing this!," he instead went the distance and died on the cross.
E. If we want to be followers of Jesus then we have to follow where Jesus went!
F. What do you mean Pastor? Are we supposed to go die on a cross?
G. Not necessarily, but we do have to be willing to be inconvenienced because it benefits someone else.
H. It means being willing to sacrifice for the benefit of someone else.
I. It means doing what Jesus would do and not what you want to do.
Transition: Another thing that never goes out of style is love.
II. Put On Love (14-15).
A. Clothe Yourselves In Love
1. The next, and according to Paul, the most important, thing to clothe ourselves in is love.
2. In v. 14 he says, "Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony."
A. Of all the attributes of God that the Christian is called to emulate, love is the crowning grace.
B. In Gal. 5:6 love is the active expression of justifying grace; in Gal. 5:22 live is listed as an aspect of the Fruit of the Spirit; in 1 Cor. 13:13 it is seen as the supreme Christian grace; in Rom. 13:9-10 all the commandments are summed up in one: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
C. Love is the fulfillment of all of God's law because love does nothing but good to others.
D. Galatians 5:6 (NLT2)
6 For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in LOVE
3. Since we are living in the supreme grace of love, Paul says in v. 15, "And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful."
A. From love Paul moves to peace. The one is the natural byproduct of the other; when there is love you will naturally have peace.
B. When differences spring up among us the peace of Christ must be our arbitrator.
C. If the members of our church family are subject to the Lordship of Christ, then the peace that he gives must regulate our relationships with one another.
D. Since we are reconciled to God, enjoying peace with him through Christ, then we should naturally live at peace with each other.
E. Strife and conflict occur when we are out of touch with Christ, who is the true source of real peace.
F. Furthermore, Paul tells us to be thankful always. That means in good times and bad (Bruce, 156-157).
B. The Greatest Of These
1. Illustration: "Now what Paul wishes to say is that there is no benefit in those things, for all those things fall apart, unless they are done with love. This is the love that binds them all together. Whatever good thing it is that you mention, if love be absent, it is nothing, it melts away...In the same way, whatever good our deeds possess will vanish away completely if we lack love" (Chrysostom, Ancient Christian Commentary On Scripture, NT vol. 9, 49).
2. The most Christ-like characteristic we can display is love!
A. 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NLT2)
13 Three things will last forever ”faith, hope, and love" and the greatest of these is love.
B. There are just three things that matter: faith, hope and love.
C. That means money doesn't matter.
D. That means fame doesn't matter.
E. That means house's, car's and boat's don't matter.
F. Faith matters because without it we could not know God and be saved.
G. Hope matters because without Jesus there is no hope.
H. However, love matters more than anything; it is the greatest thing.
I. 1 John 4:20-21 (NLT2)
20 If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?
21 And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their Christian brothers and sisters.
Transition: But there is a piece of clothing even more important than love. We need to...
III. Put On Christ (15-16).
A. The Message About Christ
1. Now Paul brings this section of his letter to a conclusion with great richness.
2. In v. 16 he says, "Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts."
A. Paul tells us to let the message about Christ, in all its fullness fill your lives.
B. Our preaching and teaching must be based on the teaching of Jesus and the apostles.
C. It must be based on the Bible, the Word of God. This teaching and message about Christ ought to fill our lives in every way, and be the center of our being and our existence.
D. In addition the Bible, worship must also be an important aspect of our life together.
E. Here Paul uses three different types of worship music that we are to use. First, he talks about Psalms, and this represents the Book of Psalms, which was the Jewish hymnal of Paul's day.
F. To us this is similar to choruses we sing, which many of them are taken from Scripture.
G. Second, Paul talks about hymns, which referred to Christian canticles, some of which are reproduced in the NT, like in Phil. 2:5-11.
H. Third, Paul talks about "spiritual songs."
I. These are unpremeditated words sung "in the Spirit," referring to singing in tongues (Bruce, 157-158).
3. Now with all of these different articles of "Christian clothing" having been put on, Paul says, "And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father."
A. Earlier Paul listed a few vices and virtues to give the Colossian believers an idea of what was expected of them in their attitudes toward one another, but he did not want to regulate every area of life with a list of rules.
B. So Paul gave this general command to cover every area of life. Everything the believers said and everything they did should be done as a representative of the Lord Jesus, realizing his constant presence and bringing honor and glory to him in every aspect and activity of daily living.
C. To act in someone's name is to act on his authority; believers act as Christ's representatives.
D. Paul echoed the need for giving thanks, as he had in 3:15 and 3:16. All we do for Christ should be done with the spirit of thankfulness for all he has done for us.
E. Believers are not enslaved to rules about every word they speak or deed they do; instead, they freely put themselves under the Lord's guidance because they love him, have accepted his salvation, and live to glorify him (Barton, 884-885).
B. Christ's Ambassadors
1. Illustration: We are Christ’s Ambassadors; And our colors we must unfurl. We must wear a spotless robe, Clean and righteous before the world. We must show we’re cleansed from sin; And that Jesus dwells within. Proving duly that we’re truly Christ’s Ambassadors ... Christ’s Ambassadors.
2. As Christ's ambassadors we must be true representatives of His character.
A. 2 Corinthians 5:20 (NLT2)
20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”
B. Since we are Christ's ambassadors we must represent Him to the world.
C. This means we need to put on our new nature as children of God.
D. We need to put on tender mercy.
E. We need to put on kindness.
F. We need to put on humility.
G. We need to put on gentleness.
H. We need to put on patience.
I. We need to put on love.
J. We need to put on peace.
K. Above all we need to put on Jesus!
Conclusion
1. Fashion is made to become unfashionable.
2. Perhaps with all of the constant changes in fashion we should clothe ourselves in things that don't change. Like...
A. Put On Mercy
B. Put On Love
C. Put On Christ
3. THREE THINGS TO REMEMBER...
A. WE WHO HAVE BEEN SHOWN MERCY NEED TO EXTEND MERCY.
B. WE ARE TO LOVE BECAUSE JESUS FIRST LOVED US.
C. WHEN YOU PUT ON JESUS PEOPLE SEE THE REAL YOU BECAUSE THEY SEE THE REAL JESUS IN YOU!
