WHAT JESUS DOES FORUS PART 4

JESUS RESTORES OUR LIVES

Colossians 3:12-17.

Colossians 3:12-17 (CSB) - ¹² Therefore, God’s chosen ones, holy and loved, put on heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, ¹³ accepting one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a complaint against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so also you must [forgive] . ¹⁴ Above all, [put on] love—the perfect bond of unity. ¹⁵ And let the peace of the  Messiah, to which you were also called in one body, control your hearts. Be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the message about the  Messiah dwell richly among you, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, and singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, with gratitude in your hearts to God. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

INTRO:  This is part 4 in our Easter Series, “What Jesus does for us.”  So far we have seen that Jesus forgives our sins, He opens our eyes, and He takes care of us.

This morning we are going to look at, “Jesus restores our lives.”

There is a church, and in their kitchen, whoever drinks the last cup of coffee often fails to replenish the pot for the next person. Trying to motivate the staff to be more responsible, the secretary taped a neatly-typed plea to the pot: "If Jesus drank the last cup of coffee, what would he have done? Go thou and do likewise."  The next morning she found this scrawled response: "Jesus would have turned the water into wine instead of coffee."

You see that is the way that Jesus is.  When we run out of our own stimulation or strength that keeps us going, He takes the weakness we have, the water of our lives, and just doesn’t strengthen us for stimulation, but makes wine out of it:  The work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Now before we get to our text, in verses 5-12 Paul tells us that if we are in Christ, if we have become Christians, if Jesus now rules and reigns in our hearts and lives, then a change has taken place.  We have said goodbye to the old man, to Mr. Wrong and all the habits, passions, and practices of the past.  Why?  Because Jesus has restored our lives; He has given us abundant life.  We are new creations, made in His image.

Then here in our Scripture text we are given clear instruction on what the new person in Christ looks like.  We are told how to live the new life in Christ and what that restored life looks like.

It’s like the Hymn, “Since Jesus came into my heart.”

What wonderful change in my life has been wrought, since Jesus came into my heart, I have light in my soul, for which long I had sought, since Jesus came into my heart.  Since Jesus came into my heart, floods of joy overflow, like the sea billows roll, since Jesus came into my heart.

This is what Paul is saying here in our text.  Since Jesus came into your heart, a certain undeniable change should have taken place.  This change is not something that we have done or conjured up, but it is something, that Christ Jesus has done for us, in us, and through us.

There are 5 areas where He has taken the initiative to restore us, and the response He expects from us as those who have been restored to fellowship with Him.

1.  Because He chose us, we enjoy favor with God.

v. 12a - Therefore, God’s chosen ones, holy and loved,

A.     Paul begins by reminding us of the fact that God chose us or elected us and therefore we enjoy a position of unique favor with Him.

1.      Some of the translations say Elect as apposed to Chosen. 

2.      In context what Paul was saying here is that He had Chosen or Elected the Gentiles, and called them to the same privileges as the Jews.

3.      He wanted to make them as truly the people of God as the Jews were.

4.      You see the chosen or elect ones are not a race of people, or a particular group of people, but as many as the Lord our God shall call.

Acts 2:39 - For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

B.     Another favor of God we enjoy is that we are Holy.

1.      We have been set apart from sin, from the rest of the world, and set apart unto God.

I like what Phillips translation of this verse is:  We are picked representatives of the new humanity, purified and beloved of God Himself.

C.     The next favor we receive is the fact that we are loved of God.

1.      Now while God does love the whole world, as Christians we are recipients of His love.

2.      Max Lucado said it well:  “God loves you just the way your are; but He loves you so much that He doesn’t want to leave you that way.  He wants to make you just like Jesus.”

3.      God loves us show much that He counsels us to put off the old man and put on the New man, which is His Spirit living inside of us.

2.  Because He changed us, we love the People of God.

vv. 12b-14 - put on heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, ¹³ accepting one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a complaint against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so also you must [forgive] . ¹⁴ Above all, [put on] love—the perfect bond of unity.

A.     What Paul is talking about here in basic unity within the Church.

1.      What He is describing is the kind of harmony that should exist among those people who really love the Lord, among those people in whom the Holy Spirit is living in and among.

B.     Verse 14 sums up the preceding verses, that these characteristics should all be seen in light of the love God commands us to have for one another.

C.     Let’s break these verses down quickly:

1.      Hearfelt compassion – be concerned for one another’s needs.

2.      Kindness – Be kind to each other, not short, tempermental.

3.      Humility – Don’t approach each other with the attitude that we are God’s man or woman for the hour and that we have all the answers.  But approach one another in the Spirit of humility.

4.      Gentleness – Be gentle in your answers.

5.      Patience – Don’t give up on each other.  Remember that God is working and it may take some time for the person to sort through what they are going through and turn it fully over to the Lord.

3.  Because He called us, we participate in the Peace of God.

v. 15 - And let the peace of the  Messiah, to which you were also called in one body, control your hearts. Be thankful.

A.     The word “called” here in this verse means in the Greek, “To summon or call by your name.”

1.      Imagine if you would that you have been summoned to the dinner table of the King of Kings.

2.      What is on the menu – His peace.

3.      You see, within His presence, there is peace.

4.      That is why a worship service is not just singing songs, whether they be Psalms, Hymns, or Spiritual songs (choruses).  They are avenues that we approach and experience the presence of God.

B.     If as Christians we could simply picture ourselves in the presence of God, where His holiness and might, His splendor and glory are something we can experience as we worship Him, whether in a service or alone with Him, there would never be any lack of unity of peace between us.

C.     Now this word for Peace here in this verse does not mean the indwelling feeling of comfort, but it is something outside ourselves in the realm of God that we can experience, receive, and be acted upon.

4.   Because He counsels us, we build up the family of God

v. 16 - Let the message about the  Messiah dwell richly among you, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, and singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, with gratitude in your hearts to God.

A.     We can say a lot about God’s Word, about its promises, power, prophesies, principles, and priorities.

1.      But in context, what Paul is saying here about it, is that it is instructive in nature (in all wisdom), and that we should meditate on it, let it dwell amongst us, and sing it to one another.

B.     You see the Word bears fruit in our lives.

1.      It teaches us, and counsels us, and instructs us to teach and admonish one another.

2.      We should encourage one another both in word, and in song.

3.      Now to teach means to encourage each other in a positive way.

4.      To admonish means to warn or caution others in love concerning the directions they are taking or living.

5.  Because He cares for us, we cherish the Name of God.

v. 17 - And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

A.     When we recognize that God has chosen us to live in His favor; He changed us so we can love one another; He called us to walk in His presence of peace; He counsels us so we can counsel others: then we recognize that as a Christian, everything we do and say should be to honor and bring more glory to the name of Jesus Christ.

B.     We should be mindful of the fact that we as Christians are called to have our attitudes and actions reflect to the world the reality of Jesus Christ.

1.      That is what it means to do something in the name of Jesus, to do it on His behalf, under His authority, and according to His will.

CONCL:  In the midst of our circumstances, struggles, and trails; can you honestly say that God has restored you.  Are you meditating on His word, soaking it up and letting His peace surround you?  Do you have a song in your soul that not only encourages and warns you, but others as well?

All of us as Christians are called to love each other, forgive each other, encourage each other, admonish each other, strengthen each other, and sing to each other.  If we did this, we wouldn’t focus on one another’s weaknesses and gossip concerning them, but we would be in harmony with one another, because each of us are endeavoring to live in the presence of Christ.

Let’s be this kind of church.  Quit gossiping, or speaking ill will.  And quit listening to those who do, but encourage and admonish one another in the love of the Lord.