Let the Word of Christ Dwell in You Richly
(Colossians 3:1-17)
Colossians 3:1-17
English Standard Version (ESV)
1 If
then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where
Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on
things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you
have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When
Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
5 Put
to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity,
passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On
account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too
once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put
them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.
9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old
self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is
being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here
there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian,
slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.
12 Put
on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts,
kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one
another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as
the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above
all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And
let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in
one body. And be thankful. 16 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. 17 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.
I want to laser in on
(v:16) this morning
· Mt hope is we will have a
greater desire for the Word and a deeper passion to pursue Jesus
· Why this verse?
o LifeWay Research president Ed Stetzer. "Almost all churchgoers want to
honor God, but more than a third indicate obedience is not something they have
done when it is costly to them."
o
Here’s what’s most alarming:
§ 20% (2 out of 10)
professing Christians read their Bible daily
§ 45% sometimes
§ 35% (1 in 3) not at all
· That’s why the starting
point is in verse 16, if we are not a people of the Word, how can it dwell in
us richly?
TEXT
· 16 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. 17 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.
o
The phrase “The Word of Christ” is rare in the NT
o
It actually is most narrowly translated “The message that proclaims
Christ.”
o
The gospel + revealed by the Word
o
If it’s not gospel-driven then it will be works of the flesh
o
(2:20-23) Legalism
o
What we see in V:16 is:
§ “Dwell” present, active,
imperative
§ “Richly” extreme abundance
§ The gospel message
saturates the Christian producing God-glorifying fruit
§ What fruit?
o
V:17
§ We might do everything in
Jesus’ name
§ (1 Corinth. 10:31)
o
The gospel is the fuel that drives all the commands of Scripture
o
Now we move to (vv:1-4)
· (vv:1-4) If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above,
where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above,
not on things that are on earth. 3 For
you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ
in God. 4 When
Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
o
Seek & set your minds are imperatives
§ They’re commands
§ You are told to do this
§ Why?
§ Because the ultimate promise
of the gospel is not an earthly one, it’s a heavenly one
o
Because Christ has died, so have you.
§ You are not living for
yourself
¨ you have also died
¨ the picture of baptism
§ If you’re dead to yourself
¨ You are Christ’s
¨ So now He is your life
§ Have you thought about
meditating on just that part of those two verses?
¨ your life is hidden with
Christ in God
¨ Christ is your life
§ Let that sink in, “dwell
richly”
§ Everything is about Jesus
and it’s all delivered in glory
o
If the reward is not now, it changes how we view this life
§ (2 Corinth. 4:17-18) “For this light momentary affliction is
preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to
the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that
are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”
o
Even in this text what if we were to dwell on “beyond all comparison”?
§ This is how Christians
prepare themselves for persecution
§ The promise of the gospel –
gospel-driven
· (vv:5-6) 5 Put
to death therefore what is
earthly in you (PL): sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and
covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On
account of these the wrath of God is coming.
o
Therefore – because you are new
o
Put to death sin
o
God hates sin
o
The beauty of the sacrifice of Christ moves me to hate sin as well
o
It moves me to understand sin for what is
§ Subtle and powerful
§ Why subtle?
§ the use of idolatry here
refers back to all the sins listed
o
Now when I dwell on the cross of Christ, my desire moves away from sin,
I see it for what it is
o
I don’t ignore it, I engage it to gain victory
· (vv:7-11) 7 In these you (PL) too
once walked, when you (PL) were living in them. 8 But now you must
put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from
your mouth. 9 Do not
lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its
practices 10 and
have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image
of its creator. 11 Here
there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian,
slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.
o
You: everywhere it is used here it’s plural, “you all”
o
You must, do not
§ Again Scripture gives
commands to be obeyed
§ Why
§ Put off the old self as
Christ gains more and more of you
§ As Pastor Dan has told us
often, “It’s not getting more of the Holy Spirit, it’s the H.S. getting more of
you…”
o
Not just “big sin” put them “all away”
o
Put away or put off means an awareness of, and dealing with sin
o
Put on is linked to knowledge of our God
§ So, how can we know
anything about God in a redemptive sense?
§ The Bible
§ The most sure way to “hear”
from God is to open this and read it in context
§ (Hebrews 1:1-2a) “Long ago, at many times and in many ways,
God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but
in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son”
§ This is how we can walk
through things not directly addressed in Scripture
§ Buying the 2008 Cobalt
o
Why context?
§ John Young and I have spent
time this year helping you to understand in a larger way how to properly look
at Scripture.
§ (Jeremiah 29:11) ‘ “For I know the plans I have for you,
declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and
a hope.” ’
o
Now see (v:11) “In all”
§ is not pantheism
§ He is referring to “all”
types of peoples who believe (context)
· (vv:12-15) 12 Put on then,
as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness,
humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing
with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each
other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so
you also must forgive. 14 And
above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect
harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in
your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.
o
Then = God’s chosen ones
o
Compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forgiveness
o
When was the last time you came before the Lord and asked for these, or
assessed these?
o
It was the Father’s kindness and patience pursued me when I was shaking
my fist in His face
o
It was Jesus’ compassion that took regard for my helplessness
o
It was Jesus’ humility and meekness that allowed Him to go to the cross,
and endure the wrath of the Father in my place
o
It was God’s love that set it all in motion. His love for His glory
which then extended to His people
o
Lastly, but most important: “above all…put on love…”
§ Love is the catalyst
§ Perhaps this fruit is
lacking because I have little
Conclusion
· 2014 I want to issue a challenge
– catechism + tools
