Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Our country’s military has top tier special operation teams called Navy Seals, Delta Force, and 24th Special Tactics Squadron.

These teams form a bond that is unbreakable.

They are like a brotherhood.

They are always looking out for the best for their teammates.

In moments of tragedy, they rally around each other.

In moments of joy they join in laughter.

The trait of an unbreakable bond includes honor, integrity, honesty, and trust.

These traits keep them safe when in battle and their lives are at risk.

Today, every Christian here this morning battles everyday in a war that rages against us.

We as Christians are to have an unbreakable bond which has a foundation greater than any special forces team.

Christ is the foundation.

Christ is the person who brings unity to the church.

Christ is to be who we seek daily.

It is his character we are to live and his commands and precepts we are to obey and follow.

The commitment of the Christian to the local church should be a total commitment.

This is to be our lifestyle.

A proper awe of God causes the Christian to live in such a way that the church becomes the focal point and priority of there daily and lifelong ethos.

As we continue to build on the truth we looked at a couple weeks ago of living with a daily awe of God we are going to look this morning how the level of our awe of God impacts and manifests in our relationship to the church.

We are going to do this by looking at Colossians 3:12-17 (“12 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.

14 Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.

15 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 richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”).

This passage deals with the character of the Christian and how each person is to live.

Paul gives a list of traits that every Christian should consistently live or “put on” every day.

They are to be an ingrafted part of their life.

Colossians 3:1-11 deals with the overall focus of what we are in Christ and our over all focus of Christ being preeminent in the Christian’s life.

He follows that in Colossians 3:5-11 about what we are to kill and put off in our lives.

These are traits that have no room in the Christian’s life.

These are traits that should have no part in the Christian’s life.

If we are living with a proper awe of God these traits we are told to put off and put to death will not be manifested but instead our lives will manifest with what we are going to look at in our text this morning.

So our main truth this morning is...

A proper awe of God propels a committed life to the church.

We are going look at this two ways.

One, Awe matters to our character within the church; two, it matters to our character before God.

Our passage this morning lays out the attitudes and behaviors that characterize one who lives in awe of God.

I. Awe matters to our character within the church.

(12-16)

Living with an awe of God impacts the character we live out among those that God has directed us to accomplish his plans and purposes.

As already mentioned we must live a lifestyle that is different and one commentator described it as radical.

God designed the believer to not free for self but rather to be totally involved with the church.

Our ministry slogan if I can say it that way is joyfully magnifying Christ.

In order to be the church member God has called you and I to, we must be radical in our behavior and in awe of God will aid in living just as such.

In Colossians 3:12-16

Colossians 3:12–16 (NASB95)

12 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.

14 Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.

15 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 richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

we find that what we are in Christ and how we are to live in Christ influences and manifests our awe of God.

When these areas are not being manifested, we have an awe problem and it will impact our commitment to the church.

Colossians 3:12 gives three descriptions of those in Christ.

What we are in Christ-

Because of what Christ sacrifice on the cross and his subsequent resurrection from the dead we are united in Christ.

We are a new creation and a new person.

We, the church, are a new community not bound by any differences in social status, ethnicity, or any thing we may want to draw the line on.

Salvation is for all and in Christ.

It is a new identity given to us.

This identity is Christ.

Here Paul describes the church as God described Israel in the OT.

This does not equate the two but does show the strong relationship the believer has with Christ.

Just as God chose Israel to be his people whom he loved and were to be separate and distinct from the nations and people around them, God has at this time in his providential and sovereign plan chose to use the church.

He calls the church his chosen, separate, and beloved people.

What about these impacts our awe of God?

Chosen - We do not deserve to be God’s child.

Yet, because of God’s love, mercy, and grace, and because of nothing about us.

God chose every believer to magnify Himself.

It is only of God that you and I and every believer do not have to spend an eternity in hell.

The fact that God chose you, if you are here today and have genuinely believed in faith that Jesus died for your sin and rose again, should pour an overflowing amount of awe into your heart and mind.

Holy - what a privilege to be chosen to be set apart to serve and magnify God.

The creator of the universe and our Father.

He is our protector and guide.

He has given us His Word to give us principles and commands by which we can follow to live the set apart life he desires of us.

He positionally has declared us holy and practically called us to live that fact out.

We should be in awe that God desires a relationship with us and has laid out for us how we can live holy as well as giving us a person to daily come alongside us in the Holy Spirit.

We do not have to live set apart alone.

For God has chosen the institution of the church to provoke us to love and good works.

Through the strengthening of the Spirit in the inner man we can live holy.

When we see this truth, that God has given the church to be different from the world and live Christlike encouraging one another to do so, we cannot but sit and stand in awe of God’s grace and love as he has not left us alone because he knew we could not do it alone!

Beloved - here Paul uses this designation of beloved.

The word is a form of agape.

It is detailing that the Christian is loved unconditionally by God.

It is this love of God for you that brings about sadness when you sin.

If sadness is not their than you have an awe problem.

The God who created the world LOVES YOU!

He is your father!

Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:14 (“14 For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died;”) discusses that God’s love for us compels us to action.

As such it also then produces an awe of God and that awe then will manifest in a love for God children as we are all apart of God’s family.

See as we understand what we are in Christ and allow our awe of God to be what it should be it will produce in us a proper commitment to live out what we are to live out as we are in Christ.

How we are to live in Christ -

Compassionate - literally, “bowels of mercy”; the bowels in the ancient world referred often to the seat of a persons emotions, i.e. love.

In this verse it is referring to love that includes mercy.

We need to live tender-hearted and compassionate to one another.

Over the last 20+ weeks Pastor has shared with us from Romans 12 the traits of genuine love and the importance of developing them in our lives.

Awe of God matters to developing genuine love in the church.

Is your awe problem impacting your commitment of love to others in the church?

Are you failing to show loving mercy to others by holding on to a grudge?

Kind - We need to be kind to one another!

Ephesians 4:32 (“32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”)

gives us the basis for that forgiveness and kindness—it mimics Christ’s actions to us! Remember David and his kindness to Mephibosheth and rather than doing what was the norm and condemning him as being a part of a condemned family, he showed love and grace.

Kindness needs to be a part of our lives.