The Supremacy of Christ is Demonstrated in Our
Christian Fellowship
Colossians 3:12-17
November 4, 2001
Intro:
A. [Experiences of Mediocrity, Bob Russell, When God Builds a Church, Howard Publishing Co, 2000, pp 110-11]
The experience for a first-time visitor in many … churches goes something like this:
You drive into the parking lot of the church at 10:40 Sunday morning.
You assume you’re five minutes early because the sign says the service begins at 10:45.
You’ll soon discover that the sign still needs to be changed to show the new minister’s name and that it definitely doesn’t reflect the proper starting time of the service.
The grass was cut yesterday—good thing, because it was badly needed.
You can tell because nobody raked, and the lawn looks more like a hayfield.
As you walk into the church, you’re greeted with a melancholy "Good morning" and handed a bulletin.
The bulletin has a line through it because the copier hasn’t been serviced in a while.
You head toward the sanctuary and take a seat.
You wait for twenty long minutes because the service doesn’t actually begin till around eleven o’clock.
At about 11:02 a piano player begins plunking out some chords on the piano.
She’s not very good, but she’s been doing it for forty years, and nobody has the nerve to tell her it’s time to step aside.
Someone shuffles to the platform and says, "Please take your hymnals and turn to page 150. We’ll sing all five stanzas of ‘One Day.’"
The song leader has no musical talent, but he’s the only one courageous enough to get in front of this crowd and try.
After struggling through a couple of hymns, the song leader says, "Now we’re gong to have a special number by the girls’ trio."
One girl gets up from the back row and heads to the front.
In the silence, everyone turns and watches her walk forward.
About the time she gets to the second row, a girl sitting in the first row stands up and heads to the piano.
The girl from the back row says, "Sheila is sick today, so there’s only two of us. Bear with us because we haven’t had much time to practice this."
They sing "Give of Your Best to the Master."
At the end of the song, someone says, "And all God’s people said…"
You feel like shouting, "We can do better than that!"
But the crowd mumbles, "Amen."
After the song everyone watches the two return to their seats.
When they are seated the song leader shuffles back to the platform and says, "Now we will take up the offering. Will the men designated to take up the offering please come forward?"
Three men get up from various parts of the sanctuary.
One of them nods to a fourth man, who either forgot he was ushering or was needed in someone’s absence.
The fourth man, in a brief panic drops his hymnal, gets up, and follows the other three to the front.
One of the men prays methodically, "Our majestic heavenly Father, we thank thee for this day and all of thy bountiful blessings. Please bless the gift and the giver. In Jesus’ most precious holy name we pray, amen."
The piano player plunks out a few more chords as the offering plates are passed.
The service continues in equally haphazard fashion.
If communion is served you struggle to watch how everyone else partakes so you can follow suit.
When the sermon is delivered, you battle to stay awake during a message that is long on time and short on content.
When the invitation is given, no one responds.
When the benediction is over, you’re relieved and head for the door as quickly as possible.
B. Is that the experience of first-time visitors to Somerset?
1. Or is there something different here?
2. Is there anything different at Somerset than what a first-time visitor will experience at the average church?
3. Is there anything special about Somerset?
4. Can they feel the presence of the Holy Spirit?
5. Do they hear and see Christ being exalted?
6. Do they sense something special about the fellowship of the people they encounter at Somerset?
7. Let’s look today at what the apostle Paul says about Christian fellowship in Colossians 3:12-17. [read text]
D. There are 15 characteristics listed in this passage the Paul uses to describe genuine Christian fellowship; first…
I. God’s chosen people are holy.
A. Did you know that if you are saved, you are holy?
1. You are holy; you are pure; you are sacred; you are blameless.
2. Because Christ died on the cross and because you have accepted His sacrifice on your behalf, you are holy in God’s sight.
3. You are a sinner; there is sin in your life, but because God is looking at you through the lens of His Son, you look holy in His sight.
B. Did you know that if the people around you are saved, then they are holy?
1. They are holy; they are pure; they are sacred; they are blameless.
2. Because Christ died on the cross and because they have accepted His sacrifice on their behalf, they are holy in God’s sight.
3. They are sinners; there is sin their life, but because God is looking at them through the lens of His Son, they (like you) are holy in His sight.
C. That makes the church unique.
1. We are all sinners in need of a Savior; we are all equals.
2. But God considers us holy.
3. Therefore we treat one another as holy people.
4. That demonstrates the Supremacy of Christ.
5. Our fellowship is a unique fellowship because we treat each other as being holy in God’s sight.
D. Everyone say it with me: "We are holy."
II. God’s chosen people are dearly loved.
A. God is wholly and unconditionally in love with you.
1. God is passionately in love with you.
2. God has gone to extraordinary lengths in order to rescue you.
3. God has sacrificed His only Son in order that you could be adopted into His family.
4. God has hunted you down and has not given up in His pursuit of you.
5. God has demonstrated His love your in this: while you were yet a sinner, Christ died for you.
B. And God is wholly and unconditionally in love with those around you.
1. God is passionately in love with them.
2. God has gone to extraordinary lengths to rescue them.
3. God has sacrificed His only Son in order that they could be adopted into Hs family.
4. God has hunted them down and has not given up in His pursuit of them.
5. God has demonstrated His love for them in this: while they were yet a sinner, Christ died for them.
C. This makes our Christian fellowship unique.
1. We are a unique group that knows how special all of us are in God’s sight.
2. We are a unique group that knows how much God loves each of us.
3. We know that we don’t have to do anything to earn God’s love.
4. We know that no one has to earn God’s love.
5. We know that God loves all of us just as we are.
6. God’s love for us demonstrates Christ’s superiority.
D. Everyone say it with me: "We are dearly loved."
III. God’s chosen people are compassionate.
A. Because we are holy and dearly loved, we are compassionate towards others.
1. Because Christ lives in us, we are compassionate.
2. We genuinely care about those around us.
3. We want to demonstrate the love of God to both those who are saved and those who are not.
4. We do unto others the way we would have them do unto us.
B. The Greek word here has to do with a deep feeling within the depths of our being.
1. The Greeks didn’t seat their feelings in their hearts as we do, but in their bowels.
2. So this a deep feeling from the depths of our bowels.
3. It is not just a surface politeness, it is a deep commitment to the well-being of others.
4. We earnestly want to share the love that God has for us with others.
5. God has so abundantly poured His love on us and we desperately want others to experience that same love as well.
C. This one is very close to our mission statement, so I want to ask you to repeat our mission statement on this one: "Somerset Church is passionate about Christ, compassionate about people.
IV. God’s chosen people are kind.
A. Because we are holy and dearly loved, we can’t help but be kind to others.
1. I want to give you a fresh way of thinking of kindness…
2. Kindness is being useful and thoughtful; kind.
3. We do things for others that are useful, helpful, and thoughtful.
4. It may be something we do or say, but it is something that is useful and helpful to others.
B. We are holy and loved and therefore we do and say useful and helpful things for others.
1. We aren’t content to just be nice and mind our own business; we go the extra mile to show kindness to others.
2. Kindness isn’t just being nice or cordial to someone.
3. Kindness is doing a kindness towards someone.
4. Do visitors see us doing random acts of kindness to one another?
5. Our kindness towards one another demonstrates the superiority of Christ.
C. Say it with me: "We are kind."
V. God’s chosen people are humble.
A. God’s chosen people are low-minded.
1. We often think of humility as not being arrogant.
2. That is obviously a first step, but it is not really all of it.
3. Humility is being low-minded in thinking of others more highly than ourselves.
4. We are not a part of the body of Christ just for what we can get out of it.
5. We are not a part of the body of Christ because of what we get out of it at all.
6. We are here to do for others.
7. Low-mindedness is an attitude.
B. We do not insist that everyone thinks and does the way we want things done.
1. 1 Corinthians 10:24, Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.
2. This makes us a unique group because what other group do you know that exists to seek the good of others?
3. The body of Christ consists of people who are there not for what they can get out of it, but for what they can put into it.
4. Our humility demonstrates the superiority of Christ.
C. Say it with me: "We are humble."
VI. God’s chosen people are gentle.
A. We are not hard on others.
1. We have gentle manner with others—even those we don’t always agree with.
2. We have gentle manner with others—even those who haven’t done us exactly the way we would have liked them to do us in the past.
3. We are gentle because Christ is gentle with us.
4. We do not repay evil for evil, but are gentle to all.
B. Say it with me: "We are gentle."
VII. God’s chosen people are patient.
A. We are not in a big hurry because we know that God does things in His own time.
1. God is not in a hurry to get everything done now.
2. More often than not, God is slow to act (in our way of thinking).
3. Therefore, since God is not impatient with us, we are not impatient with each other.
B. The KJV uses the word, "longsuffering."
1. That is a word that we don’t use too much any more, but it is an apt description of what patience really is.
2. Longsuffering clearly means to suffer for long periods of time.
3. Longsuffering makes us a unique group because we have the ability to continue on even when others continue to mistreat us.
4. If we feel that someone is not treating us appropriately, we have the ability to suffer for extended periods of time.
5. How are we able to do that? Because Christ is patient with us; Christ is longsuffering with us.
C. Say it with me: "We are patient."
VIII. God’s chosen people are forbearing.
A. The NIV uses the phrase "bear with each other," while the KJV uses "forbearing."
1. What does it mean to bear with each other or be forbearing?
2. Well this is pretty easy to put into modern terms: we "put up" with each other.
3. I put up with you; you put up with me!
4. We don’t get to the point where we "can’t put up with each other anymore."
B. There are always going to be people that we just don’t jive with.
1. There are always going to be people with whom we have a personality conflict.
2. What do most people do? They get ticked off with each other and spark a conflict that can never be resolved.
3. What good does that do?
4. Christians don’t let Satan trick them into falling for that trap.
5. Christians put up with each other.
6. Christians overlook personality conflicts.
7. Christians bear with each other.
8. Our ability to do that demonstrates the superiority of Christ.
C. Say it with me, "We are forbearing."
IX. God’s chosen people are forgiving.
A. Paul says, "forgive whatever grievances we may have against one another."
1. We don’t hold grudges.
2. We don’t hold grudges against those who have done us wrong.
3. We don’t even hold grudges against those who have done us wrong repeatedly.
4. We forgive whatever grievances we have against one another.
5. And we don’t just forgive once, we forgive 70 X 7 times.
B. How are we able to do that?
1. Paul says, "Forgive as the Lord forgave you."
2. How did God forgive us? Completely, unconditionally, repeatedly.
3. God has forgiven us completely, unconditionally, and repeatedly.
4. That is how we forgive each other.
5. We forgive each other completely, unconditionally, and repeatedly.
6. We can’t do that in and of ourselves, but we can do it because Christ is in us and has forgiven us in this way.
7. Our ability to forgive each other demonstrates the superiority of Christ.
C. Say it with me, "We are forgiving."
X. God’s chosen people are united.
A. Paul says, in verse 14, And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
1. Because of the love that we have for one another, we are united.
2. We share Christ’s love with each other and it unites us.
3. Christ’s love is a uniting factor.
4. Where there is no love, there is no unity.
B. And this is not some superficial, public only display of unity.
1. We are strongly united to the depths of our souls.
2. We don’t just act united in public just so we put on a good front.
3. We are deeply committed to Christ and to each other to the extent that we are servants of Christ and one another.
4. And when we are humbly being each other’s servants out of love for one another, it is deeply uniting.
5. There are strong ties that bind us together.
6. We are joined together in the bond of love.
7. Our unity demonstrates the superiority of Christ.
C. Say it with me, "We are united."
XI. God’s chosen people are peaceful.
A. Paul says in verse 15, Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.
1. We are members of one body; Christ’s body.
2. And as members of Christ’s body, we are called to peace.
3. We are called to peace; we are called to get along; we are called to be on the same page; we are called to have the same purpose; we are called to peace.
B. Unfortunately, too many churches don’t strive for peace.
1. Too many churches are anything but peaceful.
2. Too many fellowships are at war with one another.
3. Too many groups are fighting one another.
4. Too many assemblies think the enemy is each other.
5. Too many have forgotten their call to peace.
C. So how are we to be at peace?
1. Let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts.
2. It is an individual thing that happens within each believer’s heart.
3. Too many are not letting Christ rule in their own hearts and therefore there is no peace in the church.
4. We have been called to peace in the family of God and that can only occur when each member of the family allows Christ to rule within their own heart.
5. Our ability to live at peace demonstrates the superiority of Christ.
D. Say it with me, "We are peaceful."
XII. God’s chosen people are thankful.
A. Thankfulness isn’t something that we just pay lip service to.
1. No, thankfulness is a way of life for us.
2. We live our lives in a manner of thankfulness.
3. We are so grateful for what Christ has done for us we say and do things that reflect our thankfulness.
4. We are so grateful to be in the body of Christ, we say and do things for others that reflect our thankfulness for them.
5. Thankfulness isn’t just something that we do in November; it is a way of life all year long.
B. Say it with me, "We are thankful."
XIII. God’s chosen people are wise.
A. God’s people are the wisest people in the world.
1. Proverbs 9:10, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
2. Did you know that you are a wise person?
3. If you fear the Lord, the Bible says that you have come to the beginning of wisdom.
4. Those who do not fear God, have not even come to the beginning of wisdom.
5. So God’s people are wise. We need to live like we are wise.
6. When people come into our fellowship, they should see God’s wisdom in the way we conduct ourselves.
B. The leadership of the church needs to lead in Godly wisdom.
1. Paul says in verse 16, Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom,
2. The leadership admonishes (cautioning and reminding) the body with wisdom.
3. The leadership needs to be teaching the body with wisdom.
4. And where does this wisdom come from? The Word of Christ.
5. How do we attain this wisdom? Because the Word of Christ to dwell in us richly.
6. As we allow the Word to dwell in us richly, we conduct ourselves with wisdom.
C. Say it with me, "We are wise."
XIV. God’s chosen people are praise-giving.
A. Paul says, "as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God."
1. God’s people don’t care what kind of song it is, they sing praise to God!
2. God’s people praise God with psalms. God’s people praise Him with hymns.
3. God’s people praise Him with spirituals. God’s people praise the Lord!
B. Again this is not just a show.
1. This is something that Paul says we do from the heart.
2. We sing songs of praise with gratitude in our hearts.
3. We are genuinely grateful for what God has done for us and we long to praise God for what He has done.
4. We long to gather with our brothers and sisters and praise God together.
5. When others come into our presence, they see that we enjoy our worship.
6. When others visit, they know that we don’t just sing songs because that’s what we’ve always done, they see that we praise God because we truly enjoy it.
7. We want to express our love and gratitude to God with our brothers and sisters.
C. Say it with me, "We are praiseful."
XV. God’s chosen people are God-glorifying.
A. We don’t just sing our praise to God, we live our lives in such a way as give the glory to God.
1. We don’t take credit for what God has done, we give Him the glory.
2. We don’t tell others the wonderful things our church has done, we tell others the wonderful things Christ has done.
3. We don’t tell others about the great leadership of the church, we tell others that God has given us some God-fearing leaders.
4. Everything we do, we give the credit to God.
5. Whatever we do, whether in word or deed, we do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
6. We are careful to give God the glory for everything.
7. We do everything to put the spotlight on Christ and get ourselves out of it.
8. Our glorification of Christ demonstrates His superiority.
B. Say it with me: "We are God-glorifying."
Conclusion:
A. [Show and Tell, Citation: Madeleine L’Engle, quoted in Christian Reader (May/June 1998, p. 50)]
Evangelism is not what we tell people, unless what we tell is totally consistent with who we are.
It is who we are that is going to make the difference.
If we do not truly enjoy our faith, nobody is going to catch the fire of enjoyment from us.
If our lives are not totally centered on Christ, we will not be Christ-bearers for others, no matter how pious our words.
B. There was one of the twelve apostles that didn’t get a lot of press—his name was Andrew.
1. Andrew didn’t preach any great sermons; he didn’t do any great miracles.
2. But when Andrew found the Messiah, he ran to his brother and told him to come and see the Messiah.
3. Come and see.
4. That is what we should be doing as well…
5. We must be inviting our friends and neighbors to come and see the Messiah.
6. Come and see Christ in us.
C. And when we bid them, "Come and see!" do they see when they come?
1. When people come to worship with us for the first time, do they just hear nice words, or do they see Christ in our Christian fellowship?
2. What is your place in this picture?
3. Are there some of these characteristics of Christian fellowship that aren’t present in your life?
4. Do you need to come and pray about your fellowship with other believers.
5. If your fellowship is not what it should be—let me tell you that you are not going to be able to cross your arms and say, I won’t move until they do.
6. You can never change someone else—you can only change yourself.
7. Is there someone that you need to go to and make things right?
8. Do you need to come and talk to God about your Christian fellowship?
9. Do you need to become a part of this fellowship by either placing your membership or giving your life to Christ?
10. Whatever commitment you need to make, I want to encourage you to make it as we stand and sing.
