If you got up one morning and it was 10 degrees outside and your six-year-old came out of his room dressed in shorts and a t-shirt and said, I'm ready to go to school, how would you respond?
Would you say something like, okay, but next time it's 10 degrees outside, don't wear summer clothes.
Wear what will make you warm.
You wouldn't do that, would you?
You would order that child to go back to their room, take off those summer clothes, put on some warm winter clothes, long pants, sweatshirt, coats, something like that.
And the reason you do that is because you want to make sure your child is dressed appropriately.
Well, in Colossians chapter 3, Paul is telling us how to live appropriately as God's children.
And he actually does it in a way like taking off certain things, putting on certain things.
Turn with me if you would to Colossians chapter 3.
And as you're turning, I want to remind you that we've already looked at the kinds of things that we're supposed to put off, take off.
He even says, put to death.
Things like sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
He also said to put off anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouths.
Do not lie to one another.
We looked at that for two weeks.
Last week, we started looking at the kinds of things we're supposed to put on.
Things that should be in us and come out of us as Christians.
Look at it.
Put on then as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.
Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other.
And above all these, put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
Before we go any further, I want to reemphasize.
This is not saying this is how we become a Christian.
I have tried to stress from the very beginning of this series,
Paul is not saying that we become a Christian by putting off certain sins
and putting on certain Christ-like character qualities.
Excuse me.
Salvation is something we can't earn.
We don't do anything to get it.
Salvation is by the grace of God that we receive through faith in Jesus Christ.
Probably the most well-known statement in the New Testament about that is Ephesians chapter 2.
Look at this.
For by grace you have been saved through faith.
And this is not your own doing.
It is the gift of God.
Not a result of works so that no one may boast.
In Colossians chapter 3, Paul is telling us that if we are truly united to Christ by faith,
if we are one with Him through faith, then we are accepted by God.
We are God's chosen ones, holy and beloved.
Now what He's going to, what He's, all the details of chapter 3,
He's telling us, if this is who we are, we need to live like it.
As God's people, we are responsible to live like the people that we are.
United to Christ.
Filled with His Spirit.
We don't do it by our own willpower.
As I've said, we do it because the Spirit of Christ lives in us.
And within us, He gives us the desire to put off sin.
To develop Christ-like character qualities.
He not only gives us the desire to do that, but He will help us.
He'll prompt us, encourage us, give us the ability to do these things.
But we've got to cooperate with Him.
Paul tells us in Colossians 3 how we cooperate with Him.
We're looking at it in terms of three goals that God has for us.
Goal number one, be mindful of who you are in Christ.
Goal number two, don't be who you are apart from Christ.
And goal number three, we began last week, become more like Christ every day.
We saw last week why we can do that.
Understand, this passage of Scripture is saying we can become more like Christ in terms of character development every day.
Look first, here's why.
We are God's special people.
We're God's chosen ones.
We looked at it in detail last week.
We're God's holy people.
We are beloved or dearly loved.
Now, let's look at how we actually become like Christ.
We started last week, point number two.
We can live like God's special people.
We can live like the special people that we are.
And love is the key.
Look at verse 14.
Let the love of Christ fill you.
And above all these, put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
Now, note that little phrase, all these.
It refers to the list of virtues found in verses 12 through 13.
Compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, or gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another, forgiving each other.
Those qualities are bound together like pages in a book on Christian love.
Each one of those qualities you see listed there.
That's some aspect of love.
Now, Paul says something similar to this in 1 Corinthians 13, where we have what we might consider the Bible's definition of love.
1 Corinthians 13.
I want you to look at it with me.
Paul includes most of these qualities we've been looking at by either name or description in these verses.
Note, love is patient and kind.
Love does not envy or boast.
It is not arrogant or rude.
It does not insist on its own way.
It is not irritable or resentful.
It does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Here's what Paul is trying to tell us in Colossians 3.
If we are filled with the love of Christ, we will seek to express in all of our relationships these kind of qualities.
And especially in our relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
We looked at one of the ways Christian love is expressed last week, and I just want to call attention to it now.
Love will motivate us to live in unity with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Look at verse 11.
Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free, but Christ is all and in all.
The idea is that all Christians are brothers and sisters in Christ.
We ought to live like it.
We ought to act like it.
Even though we're different.
And I said last week, if you've got more than one sibling or just one, you're all different.
You may not like everything about your brothers and sisters, but you love one another.
We're in spite of those differences, and that's how we're supposed to be as Christians in relationship with one another.
But we also looked at very briefly last week that we are members of one race, the human race.
And so we, as God's people, we must not let differences like we see in that list there,
differences in race, social classes, or cultures, we can't let that divide us.
We definitely can't let it divide us in the church.
But we need to demonstrate how, as being members of the human race,
we don't let such divisions divide us in our community at large.
Now, Paul is just getting started in the ways we ought to express love.
So let's move on and see that love will motivate us to be gracious with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
And these qualities listed in verse 12 are characteristics of graciousness.
Look at it.
As we look at each of these gracious expressions of love, keep in mind,
these are Christ-like character qualities that Paul describes in Galatians 5 as fruit of the Spirit.
What you see on the screen, what we're going to look at,
they are Spirit, Holy Spirit-produced qualities that will cause us to desire,
to desire them, to develop them,
and then put forth the effort to demonstrate them toward other people,
especially other Christians.
And here's what I want us to think about as we go through all this stuff.
I'm not going to say it over and over again.
But we're talking about, as Christians,
with the Spirit of God living within us,
we can develop these qualities in relationships with people.
Home and the church
is the practice field
where we develop these things.
Home.
Those people you live with.
The church here.
Church family.
This is where
we work on.
And sometimes through trial and error,
developing these qualities.
Let's look at them.
The first one is compassionate hearts.
It's often translated heartfelt compassion.
Or maybe even
tender-hearted mercy.
It means to feel deeply
for another person.
Now,
we may have a hard time doing that today
because
everybody's life
is busy.
You think about it.
Many people in this room,
you've got more on your plate
than you really want to be there.
You've got so much you've got to think about,
so much you've got to do
on a daily basis.
And so it could be that
just the routine of life,
the busyness of life,
not anything bad,
it so consumes you
that you don't really
notice
the people around you.
You don't notice what's going on
in other people's lives.
Think about it.
How closely
do you really pay attention
to what's going on
in your fellow Sunday school
class members' lives?
How much attention
do you give to them,
especially
if there's something going on
that
they're down,
they're discouraged?
What about the people
you live with?
The people under your roof?
Do you notice
when something's going on
in their life?
Do you notice
when their countenance
is different?
Do you notice
when the tone
of their voice
is just not
normal?
Do you notice
when
they're not
acting
as they typically do?
Do you notice
when they're down
what I'm getting at?
Your parents,
your children,
your spouse.
Do you notice
when something's
just not
quite
right?
And then
do you care
enough
about these
people in your life
that you really
do feel
deeply
for them
when you know
they're hurting?
Well,
Christian love
will compel us.
Paul is saying
Christian love
will compel us
not to overlook
the people around
about us
who are struggling.
We will be
compelled
to demonstrate
heartfelt
compassion
in the words
that we speak
and the things
that we do
for them.
It's a part
of being
gracious,
showing love,
compassionate hearts.
Number two,
kindness.
Jerry Bridges
doesn't really
describe it
or define it.
He more or less
describes it.
I want you
to look at this.
Apart from
God's grace,
most of us
naturally tend
to be concerned
about ourselves,
our responsibilities,
our problems,
our plans.
But the person
who has grown
in the grace
of kindness
has expanded
his thinking
outside of himself
and has developed
a genuine interest
in the happiness
and well-being
of those
around him.
I want you
to stop and think.
Do you have
a genuine interest
in the happiness
of the people
that you share
life with
in your home,
in your Sunday
school class,
those that
you are
close to?
Lisa told
me a story
a while back
about her
grandfather.
brother.
He told
this story
about when
he was a
teenager.
He was a
teenage boy,
had a brother
who was another
teenager,
and they
moved to a
new house
out in the
country.
And the house
that they moved
into,
the people who
moved out,
they had already
planted a garden.
And so when
Lisa's grandfather
and his brother
and family
moved in,
they had a garden
there ready,
waiting for them.
Well, one
morning of the
first week
they lived in
that house,
they heard a
knock at the
door very
early.
They opened the
door and it
was an angry
neighbor that
they had never
met.
And his first
words to his
new neighbors
were,
do you have
two cows?
Well, Ms.
Murphy said,
yes, we do.
Well, he
angrily informed
her,
that her
cows had gotten
out during a
thunderstorm that
night and had
trampled down a
good bit of his
garden.
And he,
before he gave
her time to say
a word,
he told her that
the damages
would amount
to $4.
This is a long
time ago.
Well, she
apologized,
didn't say a
word, apologized,
paid him the
$4 and sent her
two teenage boys
to get the cows
and repair the
fence.
And that was
it.
No more words
from that guy.
Well, several
weeks later,
another storm
came up at
night.
And the next
morning, the
Murphys looked
out and there
were two strange
cows in their
garden.
Ms.
Murphy told the
boys, put those
cows up, the
owner will be
looking for them,
probably come by
here before very
long.
And sure enough,
he did.
Later that
morning, that
neighbor who
had made her
pay $4 for
damages to his
garden came by,
asking if they
had seen his
cows.
He said that
the wind had
knocked down a
tree and the
tree had knocked
a hole in the
fence and they
had gotten out.
Well, Ms.
Murphy told him,
yes, your cows
have been here,
been in our
garden.
And we put them
in the barn,
waiting for
somebody to come
and get them.
Well, you know
how the man
felt.
He asked her,
what did he
owe her for
the damages?
Now, Lisa's
grandfather said
that when he
and his brother
heard this,
they couldn't
wait for their
mother to save
$4 and get
their money back.
But that's not
what she said.
She told that
man, you don't
owe us anything.
Things like that
happened.
And then she
told her boys,
help this man
get his cows
back home and
stay and help
him repair
his fence.
Well, those
boys were,
they were just
mad at what
their mother
had done.
But the
neighbor,
her grandfather
said, as a
teenage boy,
he noticed.
He was
obviously
humbled
by her
kindness.
And that
very night,
there came a
knock at the
door.
That neighbor
brought them
what he said
was the biggest
apple pie he
had ever seen.
And from that
day, he said
they were not
only good
neighbors, but
they were also
good friends.
He said
until they
moved, that
man could not
do enough to
help them
around their
farm.
I tell that
story, that is
one of the best
stories I've ever
heard to illustrate
what kindness
can do.
The power,
the power
of treating
someone kindly.
Not like they
have treated
you, but in
spite of how
they've treated
you.
Let's look at
the next one.
Humility refers
to an absence
of arrogance and
self-promotion.
It was not
considered a
virtue in the
ancient world.
It's not
considered a
virtue by many
people today
either, is it?
But Christianity
changed that.
And the way
Christianity
changed that
for Christians,
that is, it
was a quality
that Jesus
demonstrated when
he left the
glory of heaven.
Jesus has
always existed
as the Son
of God, always
in heaven with
the Father, the
Spirit, the
Trinity.
But Jesus
left the
glory of
heaven to
come into
this world
as a man
to die for
our sins on
the cross.
Paul explains
it, describes
Jesus doing
this like this.
He says that
Jesus emptied
himself by
taking the
form of a
servant and
that he
humbled himself
by becoming
obedient to
the point of
death, even
death on a
cross.
Now that's
humility.
This kind of
character quality
will lead us to
humble ourselves
in order to
serve the people
in our lives
that we see
have a need
and we know
we can meet
that need.
This kind of
humility goes
with these other
things.
We have
compassion.
There's kindness
within us.
There's something
within us.
It's the Spirit
of God working
that causes us
to humble
ourselves, to
put somebody
else first for
their benefit, to
meet their need.
The fourth one
is the word
meekness.
It's more often
than not
translated gentleness.
Probably the
most undesired
quality that we
could think of,
the idea of
being meek.
Because the
idea of being
meek sounds
weak, doesn't
it?
But in the
Bible it's
really talking
about strength
that is under
control.
In Paul's
day this word
was used to
describe animals
that had been
tamed such as
a horse that
could be
controlled and
guided by the
reins in a
man's hand and
on the other
end of the
rein it was in
the horse's bit
in his mouth.
I want you to
think about how
the driver of
the Budweiser
wagon controls
those powerful
Clydesdale
horses with
the reins there
in his hands.
Those are
some of the
most powerful
horses you'll
ever see.
They could run
away with that
wagon if they
wanted to.
But those
Clydesdales,
their strength
is under
control.
And they
allow themselves
to go this
way or that
way according
to which way
the reins pull
them.
In Numbers
chapter 12,
one of the
best examples
you'll find in
the Bible of
somebody who
was called
meek but was
far from weak
is Moses.
In Numbers
12 and verse
3, he's
actually described
as the meekest
man on earth.
But a lot of
you know from
Bible stories
growing up,
some of you
know from
reading the
Bible, some
of you know
from the movie
the Ten
Commandments
that Moses
was one of
the most
powerful leaders
in the Bible.
He made
hard decisions.
He was tough
as nails on
people when
necessary.
There were
times that he
demonstrated
righteous anger.
Moses described
the most meek
or the most
humble man in
the Bible but
he was a man
who was powerful.
He was a true
leader.
He got things
done but his
strength most
of the time was
under control.
That's what God
calls us to do.
Look at one
more, patience.
Sometimes translated
long suffering.
This word means
more than just
staying calm or
not losing control
under stress
although it
applies that way
but refers to a
willingness to put
up with difficult
people or
situations for a
long period of
time without
retaliation or
bitterness.
This is a
spirit given
ability to not
let other people
or situations
dictate our
actions or our
response.
Here's what I'm
talking about.
things happen
sometimes in your
life.
Somebody does
something, you
get angry and
you say, he
made me mad.
Some situation
happens that just
ticked me off.
No.
People may do
something that
sets the stage or
tempts you to get
angry.
Some situations
happen and the
temptation arises for
you to lose
control, respond
inappropriately.
But we need to
just admit, accept
when we lose
control, we say
what we shouldn't
do, do what we
shouldn't do.
That's our choice
as Christians.
The spirit of God
lives within us.
We can resist any
temptation.
You control how
you respond to
everybody in your
life and every
situation in your
life.
Some are more
difficult.
Some are just
more emotionally
charged, but you
control how you
respond.
And what the
spirit of God will
help us do in this
kind of thing is, he
will help us to
learn to act rather
than react to the
people in situations
that sort of get us
emotionally charged
up.
You know, trusting
that God's in control
will help us be more
patient with people
and with situations.
Trusting that God
really is sovereign,
he's in control.
This morning I was
almost late to the
first service because
my truck wouldn't
crank.
Battery was dead.
And believe it or
not, I didn't just
say ugly words, throw
something around or do
something like that.
Because Lisa was
there and I was just
going, I just rode with
her.
That helped me out in
that situation.
But I want you to
think, there's a
reason why that
battery didn't start.
It may be that I
cleaned it yesterday and
I didn't tighten it
back.
But it may be that if
I had gotten that
truck this morning and
needed a crank and I
had come down here, I
would have been killed.
I don't know and I
don't have, I don't
worry, I don't spend
any time wondering
about what ifs because
we don't know what
these what ifs are.
But God is sovereign.
He's in control.
Even about whether a
battery starts or not.
And what we need to do,
what will help us, what
helps me, and I don't
always do this by any
means, but what helps me
when I do is to realize
God is in control.
There's a reason for
this.
I need to just act the
way I should and not
react, get all torn up
out of shape because
there's a purpose for
it.
I want you to look at
what Paul tells us.
We've looked at both of
these verses many times
over the years.
We've looked at one of
them every week in this
series.
We're going to look at
them two verses
together now.
Look at this.
And we know that in all
things God works for the
good of those who love
Him, who have been
called according to His
purpose, and for those
God foreknew He also
predestined to be
conformed to the image
of His Son.
God works in
everything, people,
situations, batteries,
not starting.
God works in every
situation to shape and
mold us to the person
He wants us to be, which
is ultimately like Jesus.
If the love of Christ
fills us, we will be
motivated to be gracious
by showing compassion,
kindness, humility,
gentleness, and patience
toward the people in our
lives, and especially
other Christians.
Look at one more thing
real quick.
Such graciousness will
also lead us to bear
with others.
Look at this.
Love will motivate us to
bear with our brothers
and sisters in Christ.
Verse 13.
Bearing with one another
means to put up with
somebody in a positive
way.
Have you ever thought
about how much God
puts up with you?
I mean, if you have a
realistic understanding of
yourself, if you know who
God is and His holiness,
you know who you are as
the sinner you are, you
know God puts up with
you.
I'm thankful.
I'm thankful that He does,
that He's patient in spite
of my disobedience,
hard-heartedness,
selfishness, and those kind
of things.
We need to learn to bear
with each other just as
God bears with us.
When my boys were little,
there were times I used to
get mad, I used to get
frustrated at them doing
just foolish things, old
enough to know better,
trying my patience.
I used to get so frustrated
and do the same thing over
and over again.
But there were times
when it was,
I didn't hear it,
I never heard any kind
of voice, but there were
times it just occurred to
me, I think God put it in
my mind,
that's how I put up with
you.
That's how you are
to me.
Stupid things,
things you know not to do
repeatedly.
It always made me stop and
think how grateful I am
for God's grace
and how I need to turn
that grace
toward them.
That's what we need to do.
No one in this church,
your house,
or anywhere you go
is perfect.
Even the most faithful
Christian that you know
is still a working process.
Everyone in your life
needs for you
to bear with them.
Pray for them.
And help them by showing
compassion,
kindness,
humility,
gentleness,
patience.
That's love.
Now, let's wind it up.
Remember what I pointed out
at the very beginning.
Everything in this passage
is talking about
what a Christian
is
by virtue
of being united
to Christ
and filled
with His Spirit.
We can't make ourselves
more loving
just by trying harder.
But we can become
more loving
like we're seeing
in this passage
by being more sensitive
to the presence
of the Holy Spirit
within us
and then obedient
to His leadership.
It's the Spirit
who gives us
the desire
and the ability
to love like this.
But we're responsible
to follow through
on these desires.
We're responsible
to use the power
He gives us
to deny ourselves
to show this kind
of love.
An old farmer
once said,
what comes up
in the bucket
is usually
what's down
in the well.
What comes up
in our attitudes,
words,
and actions
is usually
what's down
in the well
of our heart.
What does that say
about what's
in your heart
right now?
Are you a true Christian
who is indwelled
by the Spirit of God
and while none
of these qualities
are fully developed,
there is such love
within you
to some degree?
Or,
are you just someone
with a heart
that is filled
mostly with sinful desires,
selfishness,
and love for yourself,
more than others?
Let's pray.
Dear God,
I pray that you'll
help each one of us
to see
the content
of our hearts
right now.
And Father,
if there's people
in this room
who,
they have to be honest,
there's really
no signs
of the kind of love
we've been looking at
within them.
But what is
within them
is just selfishness,
sinful desires,
little to no concern,
real concern
for other people.
Father,
if that's the content
of someone's heart,
help them to know
they cannot
be a Christian
because that shows
that the Spirit of God
is not within them.
Father,
I pray that you would
disturb them over that,
humble them,
cause them to admit
the truth,
to repent,
turn from,
change their minds
about such a life.
And dear God,
so work to enable them
to call upon Jesus
to save them now.
Father,
for all of us
who are Christians
in this room,
help us to see
just how strong
these qualities
are right now
within us.
Father,
show us
where we need
to confess
our selfishness,
where we fail
to look at
and take an interest
in people.
help us,
Father,
to see where
we just refuse
to be sensitive
to the Spirit's
presence
and act on
His leading.
Help us
to confess
our sins,
to seek
Your forgiveness.
Help us,
Father,
to make the commitment
and start spending
more time with You
to develop
a greater sensitivity
to Your Spirit
and demonstrate
true obedience
that results
in us
loving people
around us
the way we've
seen this morning.
Let's just
in an attitude
of prayer
respond to the Lord
as He speaks.
I'd be happy
to pray with you
during this time.
I'll be here
at the front.
But what is
the main thing
is to hear God
and just obey Him.
Let's just pray
and respond.
Amen.