Following Jesus Changes Things

Well, good morning. It's a pleasure to be here with you all. we thank you so much for sending the greens out to us. we were able to join you all to worship, it's probably a couple of months ago, but I didn't get a chance to share and, I probably just would have embarrassed Vincent if, I did it while he was here, but I just wanted to say what a blessing the Green family is to us.

I asked Vincent to be the acting field director while I'm gone and he's just doing a great job of encouraging the men, the, the partnerships, the churches we work with there, and, keeping me and In the loop and so we're just so grateful for them. They're fitting in so well in the culture too. The Lord has really prepared them. I see His hand on them as they just are so careful and gentle to love the people and the pastors there and after 10 years of waiting for some families to join us, what a blessing.

Thank you for not just sending anyone, but thank you for sending some of your best and so we're really grateful for that. Well, a few years ago, we sent our eldest son off to college. We went to his high school graduation in the Philippines. It was a Christian school, Faith Academy.

I came away from that graduation feeling a little sad. stirred up inside and Because of that, I wrote this sermon a few months after that, and this will, I've preached it a few times, but it, it's just so applicable to many of us today. So I preached to myself this first and then hopefully I encourage all of you, but I came away feeling sad from this graduation and, and I might not have been sad from what you might think. Perhaps you might be thinking, oh yeah, your, your son's moving away.

he's, he's going thousands of miles away to the other side of the world to go to college. Yeah, I was sad about that and sad that part of the reality of being a missionary is when you kiss your kids goodbye, you might not really see them again or for a long time. It could be He settles down and gets a job and moves to who knows what state or does ministry in another country, I don't know. When we're, we hugged him at the airport and sent him off.

And yes, that was sad, but that's not what. Made me sorrowful at this graduation. My sorrow is how the graduation at this Christian school was no different than any other graduation or event secular that I'd ever been to. Before I moved to the Philippines, I was a college pastor.

And I had been to many graduations. Many of my students, whenever they graduate, they, I'm going to CSun Pierce College. I was in the San Fernando Valley. I'd go to their graduations.

So I heard a lot of unbelievers giving speeches to motivate students. High school graduations. I expected a little more from a Christian school. Several Christian teachers and missionaries spoke at that graduation.

these are people who left their home, their countries, their families, their churches to go share the gospel, to preach Jesus Christ in a nation that needs to hear it. This was followed by not just missionaries, but the high school chaplain. There was a guy hired just to be a pastor of the campus, and he spoke. The school principal spoke.

I have some respect and admiration for him because he's a principal of a Christian school, but he saw a need in the community and planted a church in his home subdivision where he was living. He didn't move there to do that, he moved there to be an educator of missionary kids. He saw a need to plan a church. They offer inspirational words.

They encourage them to do well in life. Everyone, lapped and took their graduates out to celebrate for dinner afterwards. We did the same, but I was sad. What a moment that was missed to glorify God.

They could have sent these kids off to this significant time of their life. they're at a crossroads. You're going to college for the first time, you're moving away from your family, you're moving out of this Christian environment to go who knows where, and they, they could have said something to encourage them to, to keep their faith, to stay close to the Lord, to stay in the word, there's so many things they could have said. Instead, there were, there were laughs, there were jokes.

I'm, I'm not against those things, don't get me wrong, but The focus of that special occasion was not to reflect. On God's glory and the fact that they were there, we were there because of him in the first place. Well after having those feelings, I began to check myself. I don't know.

If you're anything like me, I'm always wrestling inside. Maybe I'm being too critical. I don't wanna be that Christian that's looking for the wrong and everything. So I started checking myself and thinking, Am I being too hard on them?

Am I expecting too much? or am I, Is my thinking, my desires too high? But I had a few nagging questions that just wouldn't go away. I was thinking, or asking myself, shouldn't being a follower of Jesus Christ affect our attitudes and the way we think and the way we live in the world?

Shouldn't that effect be so transforming and consuming that it doesn't simply describe what we do, but it describes who we are all of the time. Contrary to what some people think. The change in the lives of followers of Jesus Christ is not just going to church on Sunday. It's not just moving our bookmarks and our Bibles day by day.

Did my quiet time, did my duty. It's not wearing a Christian t-shirt or a cross around your neck. Or having a Christian fish on your car. bumper sticker of some sort or listening to Christian radio.

I worked at Hughes Aircraft for about a decade before I went into ministry, and I used to do the commute from the valley to El Segundo. It's a good hour each way every day, and I listen to my KKLA, got my John MacArthur and my Vernon McGee and the Bible Answer and all these programs on, but that doesn't make you a follower of Jesus Christ. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying don't do those things, of course, those are part of the spiritual disciplines that God's children should do.

But we tend to compartmentalize.

That's my concern. Do do followers of Christ or should followers of Christ Go to church on Sunday, OK, I've done my duty, and the rest of the week at work and school, at a graduation, well, that's different. OK, I did my Christian thing. Now I'm just a, I'm just gonna be a person now.

That's how a lot of Christians seem to live. I'm sure like me you've seen believers maybe at your jobs, people who profess to be, but you would never know by the way they lived or maybe you got some co-workers, man, and you got a friend who professes to be a believer, but you wouldn't know by the way he, his eyes follow the women in the offices. So then what changes should there be? If being a follower of Jesus Christ should change us, what should those changes look like?

I believe we get a good picture of this, of who scripture calls us to become, and I say become because it's not like a switch, oh, I accepted Jesus last night, so I'm super Christian the next morning. It's a lifelong process, but What does scripture call us to big hum? And I think in Colossians 3, cha chapter 3 verses 12 to 17, it paints a good picture of that. But before we focus on that text, I want to just set the context of Colossians chapter 3 verses 12 through 17.

It appears that there was a man named Epaphras. And he was visiting a city called Ephesus. And there he met Paul, the apostle Paul, who led him to Christ. Epaphras was so transformed by the gospel, when he returned to his home city of Colossi, he was a changed man.

He began to share the gospel, he began to live and speak different. He started a church. Where others were led to Christ. But apparently it didn't take long for that church to be attacked by false teachers.

So to strengthen them, Paul wrote a letter to the Colossians. Warning them to reject the heresies and worldly philosophies of the false teachers and to put in practice daily living for Christ that is consistent with their new nature. He warns them about these false teachers in the church, and he says, look, if you're new. Then you need to live different.

You need to be changed. You need to walk a certain way. That's the metaphor that Paul used. He used this picture of walking, something we do every day as a a metaphor to show that the Christian life is taken one step at a time and you just keep walking and living a certain way.

Paul prayed for the Colossians and we can see that in Colossians chapter 1 verses 9 and 10. He prayed that Colossians 1:9-10, that they be filled with the knowledge of God's will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding. So, here's the reason, he's basically, I'm praying that God will fill you with all knowledge and understanding about God's will because You need to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord. Not just in, in their time, I guess it would be not just in temple, not just in the gathering of the believers.

Not just with worshiping with your family, but you walk, you live this lifestyle daily, a lifestyle worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. So you can even see here, there's a an indication that this walk is dependent upon being in the word and growing in the wisdom and knowledge of God. Well, it's a scary thought that there are many People, maybe some in this room, in our churches, friends that we know who would say they're believers and they know theology so well.

They're skilled in the Bible.

They confess faith in Jesus Christ. They profess that he has the right to rule over all. And yet, They're not his, they're not followers of Jesus as evidenced by their lack of ability or desire to follow him. We see no change in them, and that is an indicator that they're not really followers of Him.

How sad to know the Bible so well, you could I, I'm sad to say this. My dad, I don't know, he's getting rusty now. I don't know if he still could. He probably says he could, but my dad's not a believer, but he grew up in the church, and he says, oh, I know the gospel, and he, there was a time where he could share parts of it with you.

But he does not know the Lord or care to. Woollen, Colossians 3:1 through 4. Paul gives a conditional statement. And this conditional statement serves not only to remind believers how we should live, how we should walk daily, how we should be changed, but it's also a warning to those who have deceived themselves into thinking they're saved or that they're walking when they're not.

He again commands, again, here's the conditional part of this verse in Colossians 3 verses 1 through 4. He starts with, if It's not, this isn't a definite thing. But if you have been raised with Christ, Seek or live for the things that are above. It's almost as if saying, OK, you claim to be a follower, then you need to set your heart on his kingdom, His glory, the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God, set your mind on these things if you really treasure and love Christ.

Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth, for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ. Your old ways are gone. If you're following him, you're changing. You're becoming the person that he made you to be.

Now, if anybody out there is getting a little afraid, a little, I haven't changed that much. I've I've or at all. Well, one thing, if you have that fear, that's, that could be a good thing. That could be the spirit convicting you because we should have a holy, healthy fear that I need to be right with God.

I need to be conformed to his image and if I'm not, if there's no change, and I've, I've been a Christian for a day, a week, a month, years, I should see some changes progressively growing and if you don't, Then you need to talk to someone you trust here, your pastors here, and share that with them. Pray with them. Make sure you fully understand the gospel and ask the Lord to truly change you. Or discover what's holding you back from growing like God wants you to.

So again, Paul, Wrote, set your mind on things above. Where Christ is seated at the right hand of God, for we have died and our life is hidden in Christ. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Can you describe him as that Christ is my life?

Or is Christ your Sunday appointment? Is Christ the, the one who's prickling at your heart when all that guy looks hungry there. Oh wow, I hope, be warm and be fed. Lord, take care of him.

Or if he's your life. What can I do, Lord? How can I be your hands and your feet, and your mouth to this person in need? What we see from Paul's letters to the letter to the Colossians that being followers of Jesus does not mean that we simply observe a set of do's and don'ts.

It means that our lives should be so transformed that not only what we do has changed, but who we are has fundamentally changed. Practically speaking, these changes should impact every moment in every area of our lives, including our thinking, our speech, our actions and attitudes, our goals, our plannings, discussions, habits, entertainment, the way we spend, eat, fellowship, friendship, marriage, etc. etc. should all be impacted if Christ is our life and our passion.

And I believe that Paul teaches this. In the text that I wanna focus us on now. So please, if you haven't already opened your Bibles, open to Colossians 3, picking up in verse 12 through 17. Paul wrote, put on then, as he just explained all these things that need to be put off, and the false teachers in the church, so then put on 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, Forgive each other as the Lord has forgiven you.

So you also must forgive and above all else, Above these things put on love which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which you are called in one body and be thankful. 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. 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.

From these verses, Paul discusses 3 things. That should change in followers of Jesus Christ. But before I expound on this word, let me just ask the Lord to be here and to speak through my mouth and to open your hearts for His word. And Lord, I pray now That you would speak through me, you would speak to all of us.

You would impact us by your word. Lord, help me to get out of the way of what you have said. Help us to take it deep down inside, help us to obey it, understand it and live it in Jesus' name. Amen.

So being a follower of Jesus should change. Three things. At least 3 broad categories. It's gonna change much more than that, but I broke it down to 3 categories.

Being a follower of Jesus should change our attitudes. It should change our thinking. And it should change our actions. I made a quick tweak on this last moment, so your bulletin is probably for 2.

Has the word change our influence, and I was thinking along the lines of influencing our thinking. But, either way, being a follower of Jesus should change our attitudes, our thinking, or what we allow to influence our thinking and our actions. If you see in your own life, wow, my attitudes, my thinking, my actions are pretty much the same, then listen to these words and ask the Lord to help you align with his will. Well, let's look at this first thing that should be changed as we follow Jesus Christ.

Being a follower of Jesus to change our attitudes, verses 12 to 14. You see, living for Jesus should transform the way we view and treat others. These attitudes are gonna be internal and external. Paul commands that since we have been made new people in Christ Jesus, we should, verse 12, put on them as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, we should put on kindness, we should put on humility, meekness and patience.

Paul starts off by Telling the, the Colossians. In this letter, reminding them that they're chosen by God, that God had picked them out to be a part of his family. Those who were made holy, they were made holy because of the sacrifice that Jesus made for their sins. He paid their penalty, he paid our penalty, he made them, he made us holy, and we are all beloved by God.

He moved from that introduction to describing how thoroughly our attitudes need to be transformed. In verses 5 through 9, he dealt with some sinful attitudes that needed to be put off or replaced. And now here in verses 12 to 14, he teaches new attitudes that should replace them. We tend to do this as Christians, and we're counseling someone or we'll call it encouraging somebody.

We tend to, don't do this, don't that, you shouldn't do this, you shouldn't do that. You're wrong, stop that. And we kinda leave it there. If we're gonna give someone some correction from God's word, we should also show them some hope and some correction.

God says, put this off, but he says, put this on. You're hurting, you need help. Here's what God's word says, will help you and change you. So Paul gives Several things that we need to put on, and he does this by using a familiar action.

The familiar action of getting dressed. Hopefully, we all do this every single day. So even though this is a few 1000 years old, it still speaks to us today. We got dressed this morning.

We understand when we get dressed, it covers us. We're totally enveloped by our clothing. Paul uses this metaphor. To teach How these attitudes should cover us to such an extent, it's, it's like clothes, it's a part of us and we're completely, when people see us, they see this attitude.

Just like they would see your shirt and your pants or your dress on, first thing they see you, oh, your clothes, they also, oh, they can see this attitude, this Christ-likeness. These things that he says, this, this compa they see you walking into the room, they see the compassion, they see the kindness and the humility. That's the way we should put on these attitudes. The first one that Paul lists is a compassionate heart.

When we have a compassionate heart, that means we hurt over the suffering of others. See someone could see someone suffering and go, oh wow, that's sad, this poor little starving kid or this person has no clothing or wow the Philippines just had some more storms go through, people's homes were destroyed, wow, be warm and be fed, I'll pray for them. A compassionate heart hurts for them. What can I do?

Compassion moves you to action. Maybe I can send money, maybe I can send clothes or food. Maybe I can get on a plane and go there. They had a big typhoon last year in the city of Tacloban.

Somewhere between 8 and 10,000 people died. It was really beautiful to see people from all over the world, didn't just send stuff, they sent a lot, but a lot of countries had people there. Well I saw whole teams of Koreans, even from Arab nations, people who've, don't like Christians, many. Tangibly their compassion move them to action.

Paul said, clothe yourself with a compassionate heart, be known for that, wear it like a garment. Also put on kindness, the second attitude he mentions here, an attitude of kindness that speaks of being good to others without being short or harsh with them. I've had people say things to me that if I read it on paper, it sounds kind, but by the way they said it, it didn't feel like that. The kindness, you're gentle with others.

It might be showing some kindness to someone who's got on your nerves and it's hard to be gentle with. Paul also said to put on humility. When you're humble, you, you have this attitude of not seeing others as beneath you or seeing yourself as better than them. And I'll tell you, humility is really important if you wanna share the gospel with others.

It's really hard to share with someone that you look down on. Or you think you're better than People pick that up. And it's really hard for someone to receive that when they feel that you're just talking oh she worthless, disgusting sinner. Come here, let me tell you about Jesus.

He needs to fix you. no thanks. So we wanna humble ourselves. As sinners, as, as blind men and women, trying to lead other blind men and women to our master and our Savior, recognizing we're no better and we're not deserving of His grace, and that's why he's so wonderful, that's why we follow him.

So we humbly go to others, recognizing God's grace in our own life and wanting to share that. Well, the fourth attitude that should change if we're followers of Jesus Christ is meekness. Paul said to put that on, meekness can also be translated gentleness, and it's an inward attitude or I guess it's an inward attitude that can affect your outward actions. It can be seen when we are willing to suffer injury or insult rather than hurt others.

It's funny, I have a practice. I hope all my older kids see it, but when my younger ones, I've got 6 kids, when they're really young and they tell me something and it's really wrong. I could correct them. I could show them they're wrong, but I decide, oh, is that so?

And I just let it go. And I, I remember some of my little bit older kids saying, why, why aren't you saying something? And sometimes it's better just to let things go, even if sometimes, It could even be at an expense or a cost to yourself, but a meek person will have this. Gentleness and meekness inside that they're willing to even go as far as suffering an injury or insult so that others aren't hurt.

Another attitude that should change is patience. There's a hard one. That's a very hard one. And it's a scary thing to pray for.

Because what does God do when you pray for patience? If you're a gal, he probably has you, brings a, a guy in your life like me, a husband or something, and test your patience and build it up, but Patience can practically, practically be done when we endure difficult circumstances and people for Christ's sake. It can be defined as showing self-restraint before taking action. It is the quality of a person who is able to avenge themselves, yet refrains from doing so.

It is also the ability to be in a state of emotional calm in the face of provocation or misfortune and without complaint or irritation. That's the hard part. I tell, I tell my kids sometimes, be patient, that means to, to wait quietly without complaining. Even one of my past friends says, tell that to your face too.

a patient person will have this inner state of calm. They're not looking to avenge themselves is really a big part of what this. attitude has to do with here. We'll look in your Bibles now verses 13 and 14.

Paul adds three more attitudes. I'm kinda working through this quickly because this isn't the main thing I want to focus on this morning. Again, if I just put your mind back into the context, what, what brought this whole message to mind for me, what got me studying this topic is because I was a Christian. School and you couldn't tell these Christians were Christians on Sunday and to be fair, a lot of them are great godly people and I just like to think that was a blip on the radar.

I, I went to another graduation there a couple of years ago and it was much better. but all the time. We should be growing and becoming like Christ, glorifying Him, we should be changed. We're looking at different attitudes to be changed, should be changed, and Paul gives some more here in verses 13 and 14.

3 more. Forbearance, forgiveness and love. He wrote that changed believers should bear with one another. Although not using the same word as patience, this is a very similar word.

The previous verse, verse 12, he said, be patient, here he's saying bear with one another. That was hard, that grabbed my attention. Why it almost sounds like he's repeating himself. I think he kinda is for emphasis.

He's saying it again with a slightly different nuance this time instead of saying be patient, he's saying bear with and he adds one another. So I think in general, we should be patient with all. And especially, be, bear with one another in the church, in your family, the family of God. Bear with the errors and the weaknesses of others, put up with them patiently.

We should especially be patient with God's people. Just in passing, if you're taking notes, look at Romans chapters 14 and 15. Talks a lot about bearing with the weaker brother or sister in Christ. Not just putting up with but carrying them during times of their weaknesses.

And we have to be honest, we have to face it, because we're all sinners. When dealing with each other, our weaknesses are displayed, and we often hurt each other. We need to bear with each other. We, we all have bad days.

We have days where we blow it. Where we're not being Christ-like, we're in the flesh instead of the spirit. We're all gonna do that. We need to be patient and bearing with each other, especially if you can say, say you've got a, a brother or sister who you feel has wronged you.

If you can say that's not the pattern of their life, they're not normally like this. I had this recently. I got a I'll just call it a rough letter from a friend, just, I think last month. And so he wrote it to me and a few other friends, setting us all straight.

And a few of us who were kinda like, whoa, taken back and one of the guys, I don't even want to talk to him. I just can't believe this. He's really upset. I was able to step back and not get in the flesh and I said, that just doesn't sound like him.

He's, he gives his opinion but usually he's not like that. I wonder if something's going on. Sure enough, he wrote that letter from the hospital. I called him to find out what was going on.

Oh, he's in the hospital. Oh, I was just calling to have lunch to talk about the letter. He's in the hospital, so I went and visited him. He's on all kinds of medications.

Now, I'm not saying that dispels some of his concerns, but it may have Changed him from being gentle like he usually is and I'm so glad that I was forbearing with him. It didn't come with both barrels loaded and wrote a nasty letter back and started a fight with someone who's been a long time friend and counselor. So especially with believers, if it's not their pattern of life, especially then be gracious and forbearing. If they're always that way, OK, then pull them aside and we can do Matthew 18, that's a different, different sermon.

Well, I think this is the reason. Because we have weaknesses and we hurt each other sometimes, that Paul continued in verse 13 by saying, Now if anyone has a complaint against Another, and it's not reflected in the English, but this is a command, we must forgive each other, as the Lord has forgiven us, so we must also forgive. Now let me ask you, Has anybody ever been sinned against here? OK.

So there's a few of you raising your hands and the rest of you are shy. That's OK. We've all been sinned against. Has anybody sinned against you worse than your sins against the Lord?

And yet, he forgave us. Yet, he paid our penalty. If he's willing to forgive us our sins against him, which are so much worse than anyone's sins against us, we certainly should forgive others, which simply means generously granting someone pardon from the penalty of their sins. I think this doesn't get said so much.

This doesn't mean there's no consequences of their sins. But the penalty, your wrath, your breaking fellowship with them, that's, they're not gonna, that's not gonna happen. But if they've done some type of sin, and there's gonna be maybe legal consequences or maybe in ministry in church, maybe they can't hold the same ministry they have, OK. Forgiving doesn't say, OK, we're gonna forget about the consequences, but we're not gonna break fellowship over this.

We're gonna continue to love you and pray for you and worship the Lord with you and help build you up. Forgiving each other is a serious matter in Scripture. Matthew 6 chapter 6 verses 14 and 15, the Sermon on the Mount has a little something to say about forgiving each other. If you want to jot that down, Matthew chapter 6, verses 14 and 15, Jesus himself speaking said, if you forgive others for their transgressions, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you.

Here's the scary But if another conditional clause, he'll forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your father will not forgive your transgressions. God is serious about forgiveness. He doesn't want us to hold grudges and how dare What right do we have not to forgive someone if we're forgiven followers of Jesus Christ because he forgave us of so much more.

And that is such an important attitude that changed believers and followers of Jesus have to, must have, and yeah, that, that grows. We're not perfect, but that's, this is, life is a journey. Being a follower of Jesus is a journey, sanctification is a path. It might go like this sometimes, but it's still tending over the years to be more and more like Christ.

Well, at this point, Paul tells us the attitude that we must have if we want our outward expressions of godliness. not to be, rejected or misinterpreted. How sad that I've had this happen once. I was, there was a guy, when I was, I was his pastor.

he was in and out of jail. he was trying to straighten his life out, and I suggested to him, he, he didn't have a father in his life. He didn't learn discipline. I suggested, bro, you've tried everything.

You're, you're battling with drugs and you can't keep a job, you can't get up at the same time each day, you can't wear your uniform at work. Maybe the military would be good for you. And he prayed, but he goes, I, I, I, I think you're right. So one day we're walking down the street and We're just walking, he's next to me and all of a sudden he jumps, dives behind a car.

I go, what the heck are you doing? And then I see a cop car drive down the street. What's going on? He had a warrant out for his arrest and yeah, we got, I said, if you wanna get in the military, you gotta clear that up.

And so we went and, and, and cleared his record. the judge was so impressed that this guy turned himself in that he didn't even, he, he basically packed all his belongings ready to go to jail. And he walks back out, he goes, he let me go. He's giving me community service and so he couldn't afford it.

We paid for his community service. we put him up on couches in church, in the church and people's homes for, for months. In the end, One day, I saw him at church and I could tell he was intoxicated and I asked him, brother, are you high right now? And after a long, probably seemed like an instant response in him, but after about a minute of thinking about it, he's like, no.

And then I said, I chose, I said, brother, you I don't see lasting permanent change in your life. As, as a minister, as your pastor, I'm obligated to let that you need to check yourself and make sure you're not deceiving yourself. You might be fooling yourself, you might not really be a believer. You have the right profession, but you're, I don't see a change in your life.

He said, oh, he got mad at me. You're just doing all this stuff for brownie points. He misinterpreted. Maybe he was in the flesh at the moment.

My kindness, my serving him. Perhaps I wasn't loving enough and gentle in my speech with him. And that's why Paul says, look, if you don't want to be Misread, misinterpreted. When you're showing humility and kindness and, and these different attitudes.

Then you need to have this one other attitude, a heart attitude. This one is the one that ties it all together. So he says in verse 14, above all these attitudes I've just shared with you, put on love. The love referred to here is a decision or a commitment of the will to seek the best for others, for the ones that you are showing love to.

The effect of that love. The the fact that it has over the other attitudes is that it binds and ties everything together in perfect harmony according to verse 14. It is love that enables believers to genuinely put on these attitudes everyday, so that we can properly view and treat others without getting in the way of what the Holy Spirit is trying to do in and through us and those that we are dealing with. Alright, so changed believers, changed followers of Jesus Christ should have these attitudes.

But there's a second transformation that should take place in followers of Jesus. Paul teaches in verses 15 to 16, that's where we're gonna focus now, that being a follower of Jesus should change our thinking. If we are really Christians, then the way we view the world should change. I think I've heard this topic mentioned here before, so I hope, I think I'm on safe ground.

It's sad that I even have to worry about that. But I remember talking to my aunt who's been going to church for years. And we got on the topic of abortion. And it seemed like her culture trumped her faith.

She had an American worldview rather than a biblical worldview and so she got upset to me. How dare you? A woman, I, I, I wouldn't do that myself, but a woman has the right to do what she wants with her own body. I'm sure you've heard that argument.

Maybe you make that. I'm not gonna pick on that issue any further, just to say though, if you are a follower of Jesus Christ, he should change the way you think and view the world. So these issues that maybe our culture embraces. I heard in the Sunday school hour the homosexuality got mentioned.

How does God view that? Not how does the government, how does the world, how does Hollywood, whatever view it. How does God view it? How does his world view that?

How does he view abortion? Or now a big thing in the, in the news, NFL players in trouble for beating one of his kids with a switch. I, I, I sounds like he went too far. I know nothing about it.

But there are people in this debate now saying, oh, you shouldn't spank kids at all. What does the world say? What does God say? We have to choose and if we're followers of Christ, we only have one choice but to obey what he has said.

In these verses, verses 15 and 16, Paul gives a few more commands. The first one is found in verse 15, which says, let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts to which indeed you are called in one body, and be thankful. Our new nature and new attitudes need to be guided by the peace of Christ. This peace refers to a sense of safety and confidence knowing that we're right with God, that he's in control of everything and things will turn out right.

They'll turn out for my good and his glory. Let me throw a disclaimer, my good, your good might be death. Cause it's not about us anyways. But God does what he will in us for our good, whatever is taken to shape us.

My grandfather died of cancer and I, I've said this many times, God killed him to save him. He was a very stubborn Jewish man who didn't want my mom to reason with him for years and I don't wanna hear about your Jesus stuff and when he got cancer, all of a sudden he really started looking seriously. As my mom pleaded, Dad, Jesus is the Messiah, the one we've been waiting for. And he started reading, which he never had done before, to my knowledge, and God will do things like that to save us.

He does what's for our good and His glory. And we need to have peace about whatever our circumstances are. Well, Paul commanded, commanded in this passage to let that peace rule in our hearts. Now the word in this text for rule our, our English translation does us a bit of disservice.

It's, it's a very rich word. It has the idea of, it was put this way in one commentary, this word rule. It translates a Greek verb that has the idea of like an umpire who renders a verdict in a contested situation. The verb has the idea of control.

So we're saying let this peace rule in your heart, as you're thinking about something. Should I, do I have peace with this, am I OK with this? Do I understand this right? The word of God is what's going to help.

Direct your heart into right thinking. Basically, Paul is saying, allow the peace of Christ, the reality that God has restored us to himself and that he will work out everything for our good and his glory. Let that peace guide your thinking, guide our thinking when we make decisions about, in this context is talking about forgiving one another. So about dealing with others, competing concerns, let that peace guide our hearts when we have fears.

Or perhaps interests that aren't in line with God's, we want His word. To guide us and then have the peace that rules and directs us. Here is how it connects with the passage. You see is when a transformed person deals with those who are hard to bear with, those we have complaints against, those who need forgiveness and love, then we need the peace of Christ to change our attitudes and our thinking.

And since the peace must come from hearts of thinking that is built on truth, Paul commands us to allow the word of God to permeate our lives. In verse 16, he said, let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. This means that It should be so deep and abundant in our hearts, it inhabits us, it lives in us. When we allow the word of God to direct our lives, to direct it, to the extent, to that extent we become godlier in our attitudes, we have a growing sense of peace with Him.

And we can see the world more clearly. Well back in Colossians 3, we see that the rest of verse 16 shows us what should happen in those who are rally indwell with the word. Those who have the word living in them are joyfully teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom. Singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thanksgiving in our hearts.

As followers of Christ, We should have the desire to know God and make him known, and here it's describing one way we do that. We do that through teaching his word. Which is positive. Here's what God says, admonishing from his word, which is more of a negative connotation.

Don't do this, and here's what God says to do instead. And then we can also Do that through singing hymns, songs, and spiritual songs with thanksgiving, thanksgiving in our hearts. Paul has made it clear that being a follower of Jesus should affect our attitudes and our thinking. But it doesn't stop there.

And in verse 17, he teaches this third change that should happen in the lives of believers. Being a follower of Jesus should change our actions. Every opportunity we get, whether it's a graduation, sitting around the table talking with friends, drinking a cup of coffee, whatever it might be, we should be looking for opportunities. To be these changed people in front of a lost and dying world.

And that's why Paul ends this section with such a strong statement. He said, whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything. So if you thought, oh, OK. Humility, gentleness, OK, I got those, but he didn't cover this or that.

No more escape clause. He's got it all covered. Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father. John Piper wrote, A little devotional, and he talked about glorifying God by drinking orange juice.

I remember reading a little title and kinda laughing like, OK, John's gone a little too far. OK, yeah, I, I understand his thing about the glory of God, but boy, he's, he's finding that under every rock. And then I read his challenging little one page devotion for that day. And I was like, wow, he is so right.

It could be as simple as sitting around a table with your husband, wife, maybe kids, friends, and just man guys, Lord, thank you for providing this juice and feeding me. I know there's a lot of people in the world that don't get to enjoy. Breakfast or eat 3 meals a day or 2 or sometimes even 1. Thank you for clothing me and feeding me.

That's glorifying God and that's in a little moment. Another example, I've caught myself a few times where I've seen people do this too. They'll, they'll have a track and they'll, they'll pass on the track and say nothing to the person. Or they'll do something good for someone, I've been at the airport and I saw an older lady getting her suitcase.

Oh, let me help you with that, ma'am, and, it's heavy and I get it. And I walk away going, oh man, I should have said something, at least tell her why I did it. So something as simple as, let's say Someone you just saw they were hungry, you gave them something to eat. You just, you can, something simple as, like, oh I'm, I'm, I'm just so grateful that God has been faithfully caring for me and feeding me over the years.

I just wanted to share some of his blessings with you as well. Then that opens up the, the potential for a possibility to share the gospel, but at least it glorifies God everything you do, do it in the name of the Lord. Simple little things like that. Think about those.

What you might do, I bet you can come up with a lot. Paul meant everything when he said it. He said a similar thing in 1 Corinthians 10:31, whether you eat or drink, and whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Paul was so transformed in his attitudes, his thinking, and his actions that he said in Philippians 1:21, hopefully I'm not upset anybody.

I, I like the new living translations rendering of this particular verse. He says, for to me living means living for Christ, and dying is even better cause I'll be with him. John MacArthur commented that for Paul, life is summed up. In Jesus Christ, Christ was his reason for being.

And if you are a follower of Jesus, living for him as a new creation in union with God, and having a new nature, that means you should have changed attitudes or attitudes that are continually changing and becoming more like his, changing thinking. And changing actions. So in addition to our Christian circles, this should impact how we act at special occasions. Sporting events, when we get a flat tire, and we don't have a spare in the trunk.

When we're spending time with our non-believing friends and family, we're driving in heavy traffic, late for our appointment, we're dealing with rude people. It should have impact our conversations, including those with our spouses and children. It should impact how we handle conflicts, etc. etc.

Let your new nature not only affect what you do, but let it change who you are. And Lord, I trust and I thank you that you have given us your spirit to empower us to do that cause I know We cannot change without the sanctifying work of your spirit in our lives. Help us to be like you. Help us to truly follow you, not just in word.

But in our attitudes, our thinking, and our actions. Empower all of us to do this, Lord, for your glory in Jesus' name. Amen.