Preparing for Christmas – Colossians 3:12-17

Preparing for Christmas – Colossians 3:12-17

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PREPARING FOR CHRISTMAS

Advent 2023

Colossians 3:12-17

THE TEXT:

The text for the sermon today is Colossians 3:12-17. Our text can be found on page 984. These are the words of God:

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.

 

GRAB THEIR ATTENTION

Over the course of his career, track and field coach Bill Bowerman trained 31 Olympic athletes, 51 All-Americans, 12 American record holders, 22 NCAA champions and 16 sub-4 minute mile runners. During his 24 years at the University of Oregon, he had a winning season every year but one.

But as amazing as those achievements are, what really made Bill Bowerman famous was his decision to co-found Blue Ribbon Sports company in 1964 with one of his student runners, Phil Knight. Both Bowerman and Knight knew that running shoes, the runners only connection with the ground, could either aid or hinder a runner’s ability to grip and propel the runner forward.

One Sunday in 1971, Bowerman watched is wife, Barbara, make breakfast on a waffle iron when an idea struck him: What if you could replicate the grid-like pattern of a waffle into the tread of a shoe? It would make the shoe sturdier, grip better and even provide cushion for the runner.

Bowerman began pouring rubber into his wife’s wafflemaker, cutting out the shape of a sole and sewing these treads onto this running shoes. And the shoes were a massive success. In fact, they changed the manufacturing of shoes forever.

The company became successful and eventually Blue Ribbon Sports company was rebranded to a single word: Nike, named after the Greek goddess of victory.

Of course, the company went on to define the sport of running in the 70s and 80s. And they did so because they proved a theory: performance in any activity is directly connected to the attire you are wearing. If you want to run a mile, it’s best to wear the proper shoes.

RAISE THE NEED, SIGNPOSTS, STATE THE DESTINATION

In some ways, Christmas Day is not unlike a race. There’s a date set on the calendar that everything is working towards. Lots of mental, emotional, and even physical energy are poured into preparation for the big day. It’s a day of big expenditures—not all of them financial. And, if your aren’t properly conditioned, the day may end with a headache and nausea.

So, think of this morning’s sermon as a crash course in Christmas preparation. You have one week until the big race. And it’s of no coincidence that the passage I chose begins with the words, “Put on…” In fact, the New International Version translates verse 12 as “Therefore, clothe yourselves.” followed by a list, not of sneakers and hydration bottles for a footrace, but a list of Christian identity markers and behaviors which prepare us for life together.

This book, Colossians, was authored by the Apostle Paul, around A.D. 62 while he was imprisoned in Rome. And the theme of the entire book is that Jesus Christ is Lord. That’s the fundamental Christian confession. Christ Died. Christ was raised. Christ ascended. And he is Lord over all creation.

Paul is the author of 13 out of 27 books in the New Testament, and if you have read his letters before you know that Paul has a preferred pattern of writing. In the beginning of Paul’s letters he says, “Here’s who Jesus is. Here’s what it means to be a Christian. Here’s solid theology—what do we believe about God, ourselves, and everything.” Second half of Paul’s letters become incredibly practical. How does all of that theology translate into our life together, our family, our marriage, our children, our church, our work, our witness in the world.

Our passage this morning, Colossians 3:12-17, transitions from Paul’s addressing specific doctrinal dangers the Colossians were facing, to the same kind of general and practical instruction Paul gives to every church.

And, if you are familiar with the writings of the Apostle Paul, you know one of his favorite metaphors for instruction is clothing.

• Ephesians 6 Paul talks of putting on the armor of God; how to dress for spiritual battles. (Eph. 6:12-18)

 

• He tells the church at Rome to “cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.” (Rom. 13:12)

 

• The church in Corinth had an incorrect view of death and the resurrection as being the loss, forever, of a physical body. And Paul says, no, this body which is mortal, will one day put on immortality.

• Most importantly, Paul said to the Galatians: “for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. ²⁷ For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”

In other words, when God the Father looks down at someone who has put their faith in Jesus—he sees that person, though they themselves are a sinner, clothed in the beauty and perfection of his very own Son. So, this motif of putting off the old, and continuing to put on the new becomes the footpath that every Christian walks in this life.

Our text this morning is Colossians 3:12-17. If you are using one of the Bibles in the pew rack you can find our text on page 984. We want you to have a Bible you can look at for yourself. We want you to see how the sermon you are hearing comes directly from the pages of Scripture.

In this passage, the Apostle Paul will tell us to put on both an identity as well as behaviors. You need them both this Christmas season. In order to prepare for the big day of Christmas, you must put on a Christian Identity. And with that identity in place, you are then called to live out Christ-like behavior. Why? Because the fundamental reality of Christmas Day, and every day, for that matter, is Jesus Christ is Lord.

That’s our outline. Only two points.

1. Put on a Christian Identity
2. Put on Christian Behavior

Friend, if you do not know what it means to be a Christian, I pray that you will learn today what a Christian is. More importantly, I pray you will turn to Christ today in faith and actually become a Christian.

And, if you are a Christian, I pray this sermon will help you prepare for a Christlike and joy filled Christmas Day.

1. PUT ON A CHRISTIAN IDENTITY

In these six verses, you’ll notice that Paul names many Christian behaviors: he tells us to be kind, humble, and meek. He tells us to forgive, to love, and to sing. All behaviors. But sprinkled throughout the behaviors of these 6 verses we notice how Paul addresses or identifies the people who are to act in these ways.

1. 12 – “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones.”

1. 13 – we are to be “forgiving one another; as the Lord has forgiven you.” In other words, the reason Christians practice forgiveness is because something is true about them—they are forgiven people. That’s their identity.

1. 15 – “Let the peace of Christ rule… to which you were called in one body.” Why do Christians practice peace? Because that have been called into a body. We’ve been made members of a new community.

Here’s what all of this means: you don’t become a Christian by behaving like one. You are first made a Christian, and then behavior follows.

Now listen. The Christian view of identity is the opposite of the culture in which we live. Our culture says, “You are what you do. Your identity is your performance.” In his famous book, Being & Nothingness, Jean-Paul Sartre wrote this:

Man can will nothing unless he has first understood that he must count on no one but himself; that he is alone, abandoned on earth in the midst of his infinite responsibilities, without help, with no other aim than the one he sets himself, with no other destiny than the one he forges for himself on this earth.

Now, that sounds like something a French philosopher would say. But this is what our culture has believed.

• You want meaning? The only meaning you can have is the meaning you give yourself.
• You want purpose? Forge your own purpose.
• The only identity you can have is the one you create.

Now that may sound good, but there are problems:

First, so much is out of your control. Where you are born. When you are born. To whom you are born. The body you have. The physical limitations that your body and mind place upon you. Simply put, there are so many things you’ll never be able to do no matter how badly you want to.

Second, this way of finding an identity is a treadmill. What’s a treadmill? It’s a walk without a destination. The moment you get tired and stop, your identity stops.

Third, you change over time. You are different at 18 than you were at 10; different at 40 then you were at 20. Different at 70 than you were at 40. And if that’s true… then your identity has zero stability. Your purpose, your meaning, it’s ephemeral. It isn’t substantial.

When I was a youth pastor in Bible college there was a young man in my ministry who was a star baseball pitcher for his high school. College scouts came to his games. He was sought after, courted. There was no doubt the was going to the Major Leagues. And all of that is great. But it became his identity. It became the very essence of his self-understanding such that, if he couldn’t be a pitcher, he was nothing.

It was a self-made identity, and therefore it was susceptible to time, injury, and misfortune. Now, listen— very simply. Paul says to the Colossians: Christian identity is exactly the opposite.

There are many ways to describe the Christian identity, but in this passage, Paul gives us three: chosen, forgiven, and called into a body. Let’s look at them briefly.

Chosen

Paul says, “You Christians, you are God’s chosen ones.” Which means God has chosen to bring you into his family, and you did nothing to earn or deserve it. He freely chose you. This is what Christians mean when we say that we are saved by God’s grace. He freely chose to bring sinners to himself.

So, the Christian identity isn’t something you can earn. It isn’t something you can accomplish or achieve. It’s something you receive. To be a Christian means that the almighty, perfectly holy God who made you and everything else has made you to object of his love and affection, his mercy, forgiveness, his kindness.

Friend, if you think that God couldn’t possibly choose to love you, consider some of the people God chose in the Bible:

• Jacob: a man who ticked and schemed against basically every person he ever met.
• Or think of King David of Israel: a man who committed adultery and had the husband of the woman he impregnated murdered.
• Consider the man who wrote the letter we are studying this morning. The Apostle Paul persecuted the early church, imprisoning and even helping execute Christians.

The Bible is not a record of perfect people God was obligated to bless. No, the Bible is a record of wretched people to whom God showed immense mercy. One of the greatest verses in the Bible is in 1 Corinthians 1:27

²⁷ But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; ²⁸ God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, ²⁹ so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. ³⁰ And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, ³¹ so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

Are you foolish? Are you weak? Are you low and despised? Friend, you are just the kind of person God would choose to welcome.

Forgiven

The second description of the Christian identity is forgiven; more precisely, forgiven by Christ. Friends, this is why we celebrate Christmas. The Son of God was born of Mary to live the life we ought to have lived but didn’t. And he died the death we deserved because we have sinned against both God and man. And, because the penalty for our sins has been paid by Christ—he offers us forgiveness.

At the end of Charles Dickens’ Christmas Carol, Ebeneezer Scrooge cries out to the Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come, “Oh tell me that I may sponge away the writing on this stone.” In other words, “How can I possibly make up for all the wrong I have done? How can I face my own death with peace rather than dread?”

And the answer is that the holy God who made you, who you have ignored, who has every right to condemn you, has every desire and has done everything require to forgive you if you will look to Jesus Christ and believe what he has done.

Friend, I wonder if you are living with an awareness of your own neediness. This is part of our Christian identity— not to be perpetually wracked with guilt, but to be humble and honest about our own need for God’s mercy.

If you have questions about what it means to be forgiven by God through Christ, when this service concludes, come talk with me, or talk to one of the people around you. We would love to share more with you about how your sins can be forgiven.

A Christian is someone chosen by God, and forgiven through Christ, and then they are…

Called to One Body

What does that mean? When God chooses you, and forgives you he unites you with others who have received the same grace. In other words, you gain a family you never had.

You see, God’s salvation is indeed personal, but it’s never private. God doesn’t simply forgive your sins and say, “No go figure it out.” No, he joins you to the communion of saints which we confessed at the beginning of the service.

Earlier in the year, we recited Question 55 of the Heidelberg Catechism which reads:

55. What do you understand by the “communion of saints?”

First, that believers, all and everyone, as members of Christ have communion in Him and in all His treasures and gifts;¹ secondly, that everyone is bound to use his gifts, readily and cheerfully, for the benefit and welfare of other members.²

Members of Lake Wylie Baptist Church: you have a calling to meet the needs of any any all you are able to help, but you have a special responsibility to the members of your church. This is why the Apostle Paul says in Galatians 6:10

¹⁰ So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. (Gal. 6:10)

This, then is the Christian identity we carry into Christmas Day: God has chosen us—not because we were lovely or wise or holy. He chose us in grace, to receive forgiveness through Christ, and then join us to the church and give us a new family that we never had before.

That’s not an identity you can achieve—it can only be received. And it’s our primary identity. We are not our career. We are not our human relationships. We are not our talents, or our money, or our best behavior, or our worst vices.

This gospel identity overrides and overrules all else. It is the fundamental shaping feature of our life.

So, with that Christian identity in place: let’s conclude by putting on some Christian behaviors that will help us prepare for the big day.

2. PUT ON CHRISTIAN BEHAVIORS.

In verse 12-17 Paul gives 14 Christian practices that we should be putting on. And, just to set you heart at ease: no, this second point does not have 14 subpoints. All of these 14 would do you good to consider in relation to Christmas Day. So, it may be a great practice to book mark this passage, note the those Christian behaviors I don’t mention and go back later in the week and meditate on them.

For now, I want to focus your attention on 3 and they are: Compassionate Hearts, Peace, and Thankfulness.

Compassionate Hearts

One of the big errors we make regarding Christmas is by thinking that getting into the “Christmas Spirit” is something that either happens or it doesn’t; usually depending on how busy or broke we are during that particular Christmas. So, if I have plenty of extra time to sit by the Christmas tree, and plenty of money to cover all the Christmas expenses, then I have a change of feeling at peace and warm and cozy about the season.

In other words, we think of the emotions of our heart like this: Our heart is behind the wheel of a pickup truck, and we are sitting, helplessly in the bed of the truck hoping it drives us towards Christmas joy.

But the Bible says over and over that you can actually lead your heart in the direction you want to go. Paul tells us to put on compassionate hearts. Literally, “put on bowels of mercy.” In the ancient world, the bowels, or the viscera was thought of as the seat of human emotions—especially love.

You can put on a heart that is big and warm and full of love and overflowing to those around you. It’s something you can will yourself to do.

So, if December is flying by, and you feel stressed, and you’re a bit bummed that you haven’t gotten into the spirit yet. Remember that your own emotions are not uncontrollable things that lead you around. Rather, you are to take action.

You don’t wait around for your heart to feel emotions, you clothe yourself in a compassionate heart. You choose to begin displaying kindness, compassion, concern for others, humility towards yourself.

The joys of Christmas are not something you inadvertently catch like a cold. Christmas joy is forged through compassionate living.

Peace

Paul says we are to put on, “patience, ¹³ bearing with one another… and let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.” (Col. 3:12, 15)

In the next 8 days you will likely attend a Christmas party or two with work associates, or friends, or family. And changes are, in at least one of those get-togethers you are going to be in the same room as someone who—let’s just say—overcooks your grits. And most Christians know what they ought to do in that situation, and they feel bad when they fail to do it. And now another year has come around.

Paul says, “clothe yourselves in patience and peace. Bear with one another.” Literally – put up with one another. Don’t insist upon your own way. Don’t stand upon your dignity. Don’t instigate. Do what leads to peace.

In fact, Paul says, “Let the peace of Christ rule.” One translator put it this way: “Let the peace of Christ umpire your life.” Let it overrule every other inclination. In every situation you find yourself in over the next 8 days… stop, and as a general rule: choose whatever would lead to the most peaceful outcome.

And let me be clear, this isn’t Paul telling you to prefer niceness over Biblical principle. This is Paul saying, don’t elevate your own personal preferences to the place of Biblical principle. Choose peace with your spouse, with your children, with your neighbor, with your parents over your own way.”

Before you go to that family get together, before you get into the same room as that person, stop. Make the decision now to prioritize peace over preference.

Thankfulness

Finally,

Do all of this with thankfulness in your hearts to God. It will be no good to show compassion with slumped shoulders. Choosing peace while moping about will not honor the Lord. As a Christian, you are not called to sulk, brood, huff and puff, grumble or pout.

We often tell our kids that obedience is obeying the right way, right away, with a happy heart. We are to love compassion, love kindness, exult in humility, cherish peace. Noe of this comes naturally to us of course. And therefore, the only people who can truly love these things are Christians in whom the Spirit of God is working.

Decide now that every gift will be given thanking God for the ability to give. Every gift will be received with thankfulness of because of what the gift is, but because of what it symbolizes: the love of another human being.

I know many of us don’t love receiving gifts because we feel awkward about opening and reacting to gifts—think less of the gift and more of the person. Look them in the eyes and say thank you.

And chiefly, say thank you in your heart to the Lord God, who has given us Christ. If you have received Christ, then you have already recieved the best Christmas gift anyone will ever give you.

And every other gift you receive is just a cherry on top of the Sunday. So, thank God for the Sunday first, then you can thank him for all the cherries as well.

Beloved, clothe yourselves in Compassionate hearts. Let the peace of Christ rule in your heart, and be thankful to the Lord.