12 what to wear colossians 3:12-14
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What To Wear Colossians 3:12-14 Adapted from a Jeffery Anselmi sermon http://www.sermoncentral.com/print_friendly.asp?ContributorID=&SermonID=93944TRANSCRIPT
What To WearColossians 3:12-14
Adapted from a Jeffery Anselmi sermonhttp://www.sermoncentral.com/print_friendly.asp?
ContributorID=&SermonID=93944
Did you hear about the teacher who was helping one of her kindergarten
students put his boots on?
He asked for help and she could see why. With her pulling and him pushing, the boots still didn’t want to go on. By the time the second boot was on, she
had worked up a sweat.
She almost whimpered when the little boy said, “Teacher, they’re on the wrong feet.” She looked and sure
enough, they were. It wasn’t any easier pulling the boots off than it was putting
them on. She managed to keep her cool as together they worked to get the
boots back on – this time on the correct feet.
He then announced, “These aren’t my boots.” She bit her tongue rather than get right in his face and scream, “Why
didn’t you say so?” like she wanted to. Once again she struggled to help him
pull the ill-fitting boots off. He then said, “They’re my brother’ s
boots. My Mom made me wear them.” She didn’t know if she should laugh or
cry. She mustered up the grace to wrestle the boots on his feet again.
Then she asked, “Now, where are your mittens?”
He said, “I stuffed them in the toes of my boots…”
Last week we looked at some things we need to rid ourselves of as we strive to
live the new life we have in Christ.If I were to re-title that message to flow
with this week, it would be called, “What Not To Wear.”
This week we are going to look at “What To Wear.”
When we take off the old life, the old ways of life, we need to replace them
with something else, lest we go around naked.
What we wear is important. If you were to go to a typical job interview, would
you dress like a bum?
Certain jobs require certain clothing.If you were a mechanic, you would not
wear a business suit to the garage.When you are clothed with Christ, you
are called to wear some special clothing.
Today we will look at “What To Wear.”
Colossians 3:12 ESV 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.
I. The Wardrobe God Has Picked.
12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate
hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,
Notice in our passage today that Paul calls us God's chosen ones, holy and
beloved.
This implies that we have a special calling.
We are chosen by God for a special purpose and a special destiny.
The word “holy” means to be set apart. Because we are chosen for special
service, we are told to “put on” some special items.
In life, special jobs require special clothing.
Astronauts wear special clothing, athletes wear special clothing, and
Christians are to wear special clothing in the figurative sense.
As we look at what to wear, we need to wear the wardrobe that God has picked
for us.Let us take a look at five things that God wants us to wear at all times.
Each one of the qualities mentioned in this passage express themselves in relationships. A significant measure of
our Christian life is found simply in how we treat people and the quality of
our relationships with them. (Guzik)
1. Compassionate Hearts
"Bowels of mercies" (KJV) is a reference to emotions and feelings. Thayer "the bowels, internal organs, which were thought to be the seat of
compassion" Compassion goes to the very heart and seat of the emotions.
Without compassion it is not possible to be right with God or man. (Luscomb)
1 John 3:17 ESV But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word
or talk but in deed and in truth.
Compassion is a sensitivity and sympathy for the needs of others. How many times have we been alerted to the needs of others only to just ignore the
need?We think that someone else will take
care of it. Christians need to be sympathetic to the needs of others.
It is easy to be callous toward others because we can think that people
cause their own problems.Many times that is true.
Did that affect how Jesus felt about those who were hurting and in need?
I am guilty of lacking in compassion at times.
This is something I need to work on. This is something we all need to work
on.
2. Kindness
Kindness is acting charitably or being benevolent toward others. Kindness is
closely related to compassion.
John MacArthur says that kindness is a term that refers to the grace that
pervades the whole person, mellowing all that might be harsh.
Jesus used the word when He said, “My yoke is easy” (Matt. 11:30), not
harsh or hard to bear.
The kind person is as concerned about his neighbor’s good as he is about his
own.
3. Humility
This is an attitude in which we do not look at ourselves as being “better”
than other people.It is also an attitude in which we do not
run ourselves down as being worthless.
Jesus was the ultimate example of humility as He humbled Himself to the
point of death on the cross.
In reality, there is, perhaps, no one of our natural passions so hard to subdue
as pride. Disguise it, struggle with it, beat it down, stifle it, mortify it as much as one pleases, it is still alive, and will every now and then peep out and show itself; you will see it, perhaps, often in
this history; for, even if I could conceive that I had completely
overcome it, I should probably be proud of my humility. (Benjamin Franklin’s
autobiography)
4. Meekness
Meekness is closely related to humility. It is a willingness to suffer injury rather than inflicting it on another. You know people who are meek. They are people
who are a joy to be around.
The meek person knows he is a sinner among sinners and is willing to suffer
the burdens others’ sin may impose on him.
This meekness can only be produced by the Holy Spirit (cf. Gal. 5:22-23) and
should mark the Christian’s behavior at all times, even when restoring a
sinning brother (Gal. 6:1), or defending the faith against attacks from
unbelievers. (MacArthur Jr.)
5. Patience
Patience is putting up with people who irritate.
It is a spirit that does not lose patience with His fellow man.
This is not talking about the ability to wait to take your turn like when you are
behind the wheel or in the checkout line at the store.
It is about human interaction.
We can say that humility (which was not considered a virtue among the
ancient Greeks) is the "parent" of both meekness and patience. Meekness shows how humility will effect my
actions towards others;
I will not dominate, manipulate, or coerce for my own ends, even if I have
the power and the ability. Patience shows how humility will effect my reaction towards others; I will not
become impatient, short, or filled with resentment towards the weaknesses
and sins of others. (Guzik)
II. The Clothes Make The Man.
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.
When you take it to what we are dealing with today, we find that putting
on Christ affects how we treat other people.
Clothing ourselves with Christ will make us different people. It is the
ultimate make over!
1. We will bear with one another.bearing with one another means we will
endure or hold out in spite of persecution, threats, injury,
indifference, or complaints and not retaliate.
We know that no matter what others do to us, it is not up to us to seek to “even
the score.”Jesus by enduring the suffering He did
in route to the cross showed us how we can do it.
1 Corinthians 4:12 ESV and we labor, working with our own hands. When
reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure;
2. We will forgive one another.
We are not only to bear with one another, we are called to forgive one
another.The passage tells us to forgive
because the Lord has forgiven you!Jesus modeled what it means to
forgive.We are to continually forgive one
another. We are to forgive one another no matter what.
In the Corinthian church, brothers and sisters in Christ were taking one
another to court to settle disputes. 1 Corinthians 6:7 ESV To have lawsuits
at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer
wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? 8 But you yourselves wrong and
defraud—even your own brothers!
3. Jesus extended special grace to us.
Romans 5:6 ESV For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for
the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though
perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his
love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
When we did not deserve it, God sent His Son to die so that we could have
forgiveness.
Forgiveness means that much to God.If we cannot extend that grace to
others, we cannot expect to receive it ourselves.
III. The Finishing Touch
14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in
perfect harmony.
Whenever you put on a nice outfit, you need something to finish off,
something to bring it all together or make it complete.
1. Put on love.
This is something that must drive everything we do.
Love is the summary of all the things described in this passage.
Love perfectly fulfills what God requires of us in relationships. (Guzik)"The other virtues, pursued without
love, become distorted and unbalanced." (Wright)
2. Love brings the outfit together.
Love is the tie that binds. Many times a man’s tie or a woman’s
scarf will be the essential element that pulls the suit & shirt or dress & shoes
together.Love is what brings the whole outfit together. We are told that love is the
perfect bond of unity.
3. Love binds everything together in perfect harmony.
Love is the binding power which holds the whole Christian body together. The
tendency of any body of people is sooner or later to fly apart; love is the
one bond which will hold them together in unbreakable fellowship. (DSB)
Everything we do MUST flow from our love for God & the souls Jesus died for.
1 Corinthians 13:1 ESV If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have
not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have
prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I
have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am
nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned,
but have not love, I gain nothing.
Conclusion
When you cloth yourself with Christ, it will make a difference in your life.
Are you ready to cloth yourself with Christ?