Chico Alliance Church
“Ambassadors for Christ”
Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Col. 3:16
The word of Christ is that body of truth endorsed by Christ, spoken by Christ and passed on by Christ to his disciples who in turn recorded them for us. Teaching the truths of Christ is as much part of our Great Commission as baptizing in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We often focus on the baptizing part and forget the teaching part. In order to effectively teach the word of Christ, it must be allowed to be at home in every part of our life. To live implies ownership or authority. So often we don’t want the word that close because it requires life-change. It requires we allow someone else to be in charge. The Word of God is active and living. Psalm 119 Blesses, Stabilizes, Purifies, Counsels, Delights, Strengthens, Encourages Reverence, Saves, Revives, Comforts, Preserves, Illumines, Sustains, Makes wise, Delivers, Establishes, Enlightens.
It is the source of faith.
It is the source of life.
It is the source of new birth.
It is the source of spiritual growth.
It is the source of blessing.
It is he source of hope.
It is the source of answered prayer.
It purifies and sanctifies.
It transforms and revives the soul.
It continually nourishes the soul.
It works.
It brings stability in the storms of life.
It defends against the lies of the enemy.
It defeats the enemy as a sword.
It keeps from sin.
It exposes sin.
It brings freedom from sin.
The impact of the Word is realized as each individual believer is filled with the Word of Christ and ministers the Word of Christ to one another as a way of life. We have the wonderful promise that if we abide in Him and His words abide in us, we know the heart of the father and have the ear of the Father. When we have God’s ear we are in tune with his will and when we are in tune with God’s will we become usable tools. God’s word to provides the framework for life here in our fallen world. It communicates how we are to live as representatives of the Kingdom.
The natural result when we abide in the word and the word abides in us it to communicate it to others. In this passage Paul refers to teaching and admonishing. Paul highlighted these very two vital body functions earlier in his letter (1:28)
There he expressed his all consuming purpose in life.
We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.
Here Paul calls believers to teach and admonish one another. This is the core of body life. The results of a believer or body in which the Word of Christ is allowed to dwell is ministry to one another.
“teaching” present participle
Common from Homer, this word denotes teaching and learning in the wide sense of imparting theoretical and practical knowledge with the highest possible development of the pupil as the goal.
The word to teach is also the word to learn. It refers to both. The teacher has not really taught until the student has learned. Biblically they are the same.
“admonishing”
The verb means “to impart understanding,” “to set right,” “to lay on the heart.” The stress is on influencing not merely the intellect but the will and disposition. The word thus acquires such senses as “to admonish,” “to warn,” “to remind,” and “to correct.” It describes a basic means of education. Philo and Clement of Alexandria speak about God or Christ warning, censuring, and encouraging us in this way. The idea is not that of punishment but of a moral appeal that leads to amendment. In this sense it takes on the meaning “to discipline.”
God enlists each one of us is in the teaching and admonishing business. God intends that His Word implanted in our heart bear fruit out of our mouth in order to energize those we touch. God used Ezra to spur a national revival. Look at his attitude toward the Word of God.
the good hand of his God was upon him. For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel. Ezra 7:10
Ephesians warns against the relentless recitation of worthless words and instructs all believers to verbalize words that build up those who hear and offer grace to those in need.
Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear. Ephes. 4:29
Enough of small talk and useless chit chat. Let us purpose to be so filled with the Word of Christ that our very conversation draws others to God and energized them for life. God instructs us to let Christ’s life giving words find a permanent home in our hearts. To control our life so that they may ever be ready to greet any who need to hear them at any time. The body grows as the individual members speak Christ’s life-producing words to one another through teaching and admonishing. This passage parallels the Ephesians passage which instructs us to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The parallel concepts deal with the continual filling of the Spirit and the continual dwelling of the Word of Christ. The focus is on who is in control. It is the same as the teaching earlier in Paul’s prayer for the Colossians that they be filled or controlled by the experiential knowledge of His will.
As we respond to Christ as instructed in this letter of Paul we arrive at a spiritual position to powerfully impact our world in ways that really count for eternity and last for eternity. That impact comes in the form of passing on His truth to others in such a way as to effect real life change. Life change takes place when God touches the very core of our life with his truth in such a dynamic way that when we share it with others it touches the core of their being. Not just their mind, or emotion or will but their spirit. One way to communicate God’s truth is through music.
Here Paul speaks of Psalms, Hymns and spiritual songs.
• Expression to God from the psalms
• Praise to God in formalized truth
• Testimony, admonition and praise to God in spiritual songs.
Do everything as a grateful representative of Christ
And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. Col. 3:17
This instruction summarizes our commission as believers, Paul makes it clear that no matter what we say or do, it is to be done as representatives of Jesus Christ. Whatever we do in word or in work we are to do in the name of the Master or Lord Jesus. Jesus is not on this earth. Just as the disciples were empowered to represent Jesus, we too have been empowered to represent Him on earth. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to enlighten and teach concerning the Kingdom of God. He is the King of the new kingdom. We are his ambassadors to bear witness of Him and the new kingdom ways. We are in this world but not of it. We are citizens of heaven. We are children of the King. We must function as His ambassadors in a foreign land. What we do and say is to reflect the person and purpose and promise of our Lord. We are not free to do as we please because what we do and say reflects on our King and His wonderful kingdom. Our words and our works must focus on kingdom purposes.
Not only does Paul instruct us as to our actions but addresses our attitude as well.
“Giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”
This is deeply convicting. Every aspect of our life is to be lived as a representative of Christ. We don’t always appreciate that fact. We don’t always view that fact as a great privilege and pleasure. We sometimes view kingdom service as drudgery and a hindrance to enjoying life. The true heart of Kingdom kids understands the privilege of representing Christ and lives in continual gratitude for the opportunity to do so. We can’t do that if we don’t have the foggiest idea of who he is or what He wants or what he stands for.
Or if we are not sold on the program ourselves. It is like trying to sell something you have never tried or know nothing about. It is like trying to convince someone to join an organization of which you have no first hand knowledge. It is like sending an ambassador to a foreign country who has no idea what his own country or leader stands for or really does not want to be there.
Think about your week! How much of your work and words were consciously performed as an ambassador for Christ? What words did you use? Did your actions reflect the actions of Christ? Did we represent our agenda or kingdom agendas? Was Christ’s heart evident in our words and works or the desires of the flesh?
We are his living ambassadors to the world.
As you are going, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to observe whatsoever I have taught you.
Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast (forth) the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.
“Hold forth”
to have or hold upon, apply, to observe, attend to, to give attention to, to hold towards, hold forth, present, to check, delay, stop, stay
Paul considered his role before God a serious appointment. 2Cor 5
We are to speak to one another
Words that encourage, words that heal, words that energize, words that teach, words that reprove, words that correct, words that warn, words that instruct, words that comfort, words that exhort, words that strengthen, words that enlighten, words that give life. The words of Christ. Our words are to give grace, energize those in need. How often do we consider how our words affect others? If we are not communicating with Christ and becoming saturated with His truth, we have nothing to share.
The Word of Christ spoken from a heart that clings to Christ, continually pursues the eternal, constantly contemplates the eternal, denies the desires of the flesh, releases the desires of the new heat, allows the calm confidence in the person and purpose of Christ to rule the heart and the Word of Christ to be at home in the heart is a word that significantly touches lives.
What a contrast to the words spoken from a heart that focuses on rules and regulations, pursues the temporal, contemplates only the here and now, feeds the desires of the flesh, blocks the desires of the spirit, lives in self-protective worry and resists the Word in their life. These are words that ring hollow and are easily snatched by the evil one before they can even take root in the life.
APPLICATION
What has God called you to do in your family? We are all called to bless. We are called to encourage. We are called to point one another to God. Our words are to be the very words of Christ embraced by us and lovingly shared with others. We have a job in this world as an ambassador. Ambassadors must maintain their national distinction. Even though we are in the world, we must not adapt to it. We must demonstrate to the world the beauty of citizenship in the eternal kingdom and sing the praises of our king. You have a purpose here. Singing to God and to one another for the purpose of praise but also for the purpose of teaching and admonishing. Do it wholeheartedly! Every conversation has significance.
May our pattern be like that of Ezra.
• Set our hearts to study the Word.
• Set our hearts to practice the Word.
• Set our hearts to teach the Word.
And whatever we do in word or in our work let it be done as grateful, enthusiastic representatives of Christ.
Even though we may not be educated or great scholars may we, like the disciples, be recognized not by our greatness but by the fact that we have been with Jesus.
