Scripture: Colossians 3:1-17

Introduction

• Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
• We were reminded Wednesday night at Biltmore how much we have to be thankful for.
• Sometimes you don’t realize how much, until you write it all down.
• 61 folks gathered for our Friendsgiving dinner where we gave thanks for all the people God has sent us to help as well as a few of the people we have helped.
• The truth is: we have ALL been helped by the work we do at Biltmore.
• How God uses this small, but determined group to accomplish so much is amazing.
• God has built a clothes-closet operation that went from averaging 10 families every two weeks to over a hundred families every week.
• He has built a food supply operation that moves tons of food through a 5’ x 5’ box.
• He has grown a school supply backpack program from helping 50 kids to over 250.
• We are regularly gathering with our community every month and sharing meals and block parties and music concerts.
• We have found the money it takes to maintain and restore our beautiful old building.
• We have had tremendous support from our partners in the community.
• Sadly, we have suffered the loss of some key people – hard workers, big contributors.
• But, for every one person we have lost, God has sent us at least three more.
• All of this started with the VISION that GOD has for Biltmore.
• We listened to His vision, and we have been obedient to making it work.
• I believe Paul is how to be thankful in the Lord through these three points:

1. Set your hearts on things above.
2. Get rid of your earthly nature.
3. Let the peace of Christ rule.

1. Set your hearts on things above

• What does Paul mean by “Set your hearts on things above” ???
• Paul explains in verse 2:

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

• What are earthly things? Earthly things are what is important to the world.
• Do you think the Colossians that Paul was writing to have a problem with this issue?
• According to the Birmingham Theological Seminary’s lesson on Paul’s Prison Epistles:

The city of Colosse was located in the Roman province of Asia in a region called Phrygia. It lay in the Lycus Valley, a bit to the east of the larger and more popular city of Laodicea. Colossae was relatively small. And by the political and economic standards of the day, it was certainly the least important city to receive any of Paul’s canonical letters. Paul had never actually visited the church in Colosse, but he cared deeply for them nonetheless.

• So, what was it about Colosse that so grabbed Paul’s attention and concern?
• The lesson from Birmingham’s Seminary program goes on to say:

While Paul was in prison, he was visited by a man named Epaphras, who was from the city of Colosse. And Epaphras told Paul about some false teachings that were threatening the churches of the Lycus Valley, including the church in Colosse. So, in order to defend the church against these false teachings, Paul wrote his letter to the Colossians.

• Although we do not know all the details of the errors that came into the church in Colosse, Paul’s letter tells us several things about them.

1. First, the false teaching in Colosse seems to have mixed Christianity with elements of Greek philosophy.
2. Second, it depended heavily on Jewish law.
3. And third, it insisted that there were many angelic beings that Christians were required to venerate and to appease.

• These three issues seem to be what Paul is concerned about.
• When he says “set your hearts on things above” he is telling them – and us – to focus on Christ and the truth of His Gospel and not be distracted by the world around us.
• I think when we look at how the world is self-destructing around us today, we can relate.
• Paul says in verse 3 that we have a new life in Christ:

For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

• Satan has twisted our world up so much that he has gone too far.
• Our society is progressively changing in ways that are more and more shocking.
• Movies, television, radio, and the internet are now saturated with shock factors.
• It wasn’t enough to probe the drama of senior dating on the “Golden Bachelor”, we had to expose the fantasy suite and add that shock factor.
• The language and imagery is more and more shocking everywhere you turn.
• Until it isn’t shocking anymore. Once we have seen it all, what’s left?
• Don’t we just become numb to things to the point where we don’t care anymore?
• It’s time to turn our attention and our hearts to the things above.

2. Get rid of your earthly nature

• In verses 5, Paul doesn’t just say get rid of our earthly nature, he says “put it to death”:

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.

• He goes on to warn us in verse 6: “Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.”
• Matthew Henry says in his commentary on this passage:

Since it is our duty to set our affections upon heavenly things, it is our duty to mortify our members which are upon the earth, and which naturally incline us to the things of the world: “Mortify them, that is, subdue the vicious habits of mind which prevailed in your Gentile state. Kill them, suppress them, as you do weeds or vermin which spread and destroy all about them, or as you kill an enemy who fights against you and wounds you.”

• And isn’t there an enemy who fights against us continually? Satan of course.
• Paul reminds us in verse 7: “You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.”
• Before we found Christ – or maybe as we continue to find Him – don’t we realize that our old ways just don’t fit anymore?
• In verse 8, Paul goes on to add some more things we need to get rid of:

But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.

• I’ll admit, this one is a problem for me, so I know this isn’t an easy thing to get rid of.
• If I knew how to get rid of it, I would have already.
• And any progress I have made goes out the window when somebody cuts me off on the road or tailgates me.
• Then Paul says in verse 9: “Do not lie to each other.”
• I think part of that means to be vulnerable to each other so that we can help each other.
• Getting rid of our earthly nature requires replacing it with something else.
• Paul says in verse 10: “to put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.”
• To summarize verse 11: it is all about having a new life in Christ.

3. Let the peace of Christ rule

• Don’t worry, I didn’t forget verse 4 I just think it fits better here:

When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

• This is the new life that Paul started talking about in verse 3.
• What does this new life in Christ, in His peace, look like?
• In verses 12-14, Paul gives us three things that should characterize our new life in Christ:

1.      Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

2.      Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

3.      Over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

• These are the things that will begin to take over our lives as we all grow in Christ.
• Paul tells us that we just need to let Christ take over in verse 15:

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

• That’s how you know you are on the right path when you feel that peace of Christ. Verse 16:

Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

• One of the key points here is the value of church and meeting in fellowship.
• You just cant do verse 16 without meeting together.
• How do we let the peace of Christ rule?  Paul gives it to us in verse 17:

Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

• Be Thankful in the Lord.