Become More Like Christ Every Day

What kind of goals do you have for yourself?

Now I'm going to guess a lot of people in this room,

we have financial goals.

Some people, your goals to get out of debt

maybe this year or as soon as possible.

Some people have goals related to retirement.

And that is, that's good.

It is good to have financial goals.

What would be bad is if that's the only kind of goal you have.

We need to have career goals, educational goals.

We need to have goals as the kind of husband or wife or parent

God wants me to be.

The kind of child living with your parents

that God wants you to be.

It's good to have goals

about a lot of different areas of our lives.

But I want to ask you,

what are your goals specifically as a Christian?

What is it that you want God to do in you?

What is it you are praying and asking God to help you to be,

what are your goals for you to do?

We've been looking now since the first Sunday in January

at God's goals for us.

Really the Bible is filled with God's goals for His people.

Now, we're looking at it,

Colossians chapter 3,

Colossians 3:1–17

verses 1 through 17.

We're looking at it under a big topic.

You see on the screen,

God's goals for you

are never just for the year,

like a New Year's resolution or a New Year's goal.

God's goals for you this hour,

this day,

this year,

and on and on as long as we live.

This study is really about

developing Christ-like character,

which is God's number one goal for us.

I put it on the screen just about every week.

I'm going to do it again today

because we need to understand

what God is doing in our lives if we're Christians.

For those whom He foreknew,

set His heart on in a favorable way.

Very similar to the word chosen.

For those whom He foreknew,

He also predestined

to be conformed to the image of His Son.

This is what God's doing in every Christian's life.

He is working in our lives

through every kind of situation possible,

through the people in our lives.

He's working through the good times and the bad

to shape and mold us into the likeness of His Son.

And I like to think of it in terms of us

developing Christ-like character.

Well, Colossians 3

helps us to see some of the ways

God works in us

to accomplish this.

We've looked at this passage,

verses 1 through 17,

in terms of three goals God has for us.

Number one,

be mindful of who you are in Christ.

I'll remind you one more time.

This whole series is designed

for Christians.

We have to,

for this to make sense,

to work.

We have to be united to Christ

by faith.

We have to be one with Him.

And we need to know

who we are in Christ.

That's what

verses 1 through 4

is all about.

The second goal,

don't be who you are

apart from Christ.

We still have a sinful nature.

We have sinful desires.

We are tempted.

And what we need to understand

is who we are in Christ.

We can resist any temptation.

In fact,

we're told in this passage,

verses 5 through 10,

to put off

sinful habits

and desires.

And then in goal number three,

put on some things.

Look at goal number three.

Become more like Christ

every day.

This is how we put on

Christ-like character qualities

with the grace God gives us

to do that.

We're going to conclude

goal number three

this morning

by looking at how

we can become like Christ

every day.

We've already looked

at the fact

that if we're united

to Christ by faith,

we are

God's special people.

In verse 12,

let me remind you,

God declares

that we are,

or Paul declares

that we are

God's chosen one.

God's chosen people

from the foundation

of the world

we looked at

a few weeks ago.

We are chosen people.

We are holy people.

God has chosen us

as His

and set us aside,

set us apart,

different from everybody

else in the world

who's not a Christian.

And we are beloved.

We are dearly loved

by God

as His people

united to Christ.

Now most of the passage

that we're looking at now,

verses 11 through 17,

most of this passage

encourages us

to actually live

like God's special people.

We can do that.

You and I,

if we're Christians,

we can live

like God's special people

because when God

saved us,

He put His Spirit

in us.

And we've looked at this

over the years,

we've looked at this

a lot of times.

If you're a Christian,

the Spirit of God

indwells you

and He gives you

the desire

and the ability

to live a life

that pleases God.

And some of the things

we're looking at

in Colossians chapter 3

Colossians 3 · chapter mention

helps us to understand

what it takes

to please God

as His children.

We've already seen

that it begins with love.

Look at this real quickly.

Let the love of Christ

fill you.

That was the heading

we gave to what we see

in verses 11 through 14

that we've already covered.

So let me just hit

the highlights here.

Number one,

love will motivate us

to live in unity

with one another.

in spite of our differences

and just look around,

we're very different.

But if we are children of God,

we're brothers and sisters

in Christ

and we can live like Him.

Love will motivate us

to be gracious

with one another.

Look at Colossians 3, 12 there.

What that means.

We'll show compassion.

We'll show kindness.

We'll show patience.

We'll do things like that.

Love will compel us

to treat one another this way.

Love will motivate us

to bear with one another.

Put up with one another.

Some people in here

are hard to deal with,

hard to live with.

Some of us,

more of us than we think

are hard to deal with.

Now, number four,

love will motivate us

to forgive one another

in the same way

that God forgives us.

That's what we looked at

in detail last week.

What I want us to see

at the outset

is loving one another

is the number one way

we live like God's special people.

Jesus said we are to be known

by the love that we have

for one another.

But,

this is not all Paul says

in this passage

when he talks about

living like God's special people.

Let's move on now.

Let the peace of Christ

rule you.

Look at verse 15.

And let the peace of Christ

rule in your hearts

to which indeed

you were called

in one body,

one church,

one family,

and be thankful.

What is the peace of Christ?

Oh, obviously it has

something to do with him.

It's the kind of peace

that he experienced

and gives to us

his people

as noted

in John chapter 14.

John 14 · chapter mention

Look at this.

Jesus said,

Peace

I leave with you.

My peace

I give to you.

Not as the world gives

do I give to you.

Let not your hearts

be troubled.

Neither let them

be afraid.

Now I want you to understand

this is John 14.

This is the night

that Jesus was arrested.

This is the night

before Jesus

was going to be

crucified

and he knew it

but he told his disciples

let not your hearts

be troubled.

Let them be afraid.

This shows us

that the peace of Christ

is not dependent

on having peaceful circumstances.

It's not dependent

on everybody

loving us

and treating us

well.

The peace of Christ

that he talks about

that he gave

to his disciples

he was about

to about go through

the

the worst

that the devil

could throw at him.

He knew

he was about

to bear

the full wrath

of God

against sin

as he hung

on the cross.

So this peace

is not dependent

on our circumstances.

The peace of Christ

look at this

it is an inward sense

of quiet confidence

that comes from

knowing you are

right with God

through faith

in Jesus.

Look at what Paul

says in Romans 5

1

therefore

as we have been

justified by faith

as we have been

declared right

with God

by faith.

we have peace

with God

through our Lord

Jesus Christ.

It's the peace

that we have

in our soul.

Peace is hard

to describe.

Paul says

it is beyond

description

in Philippians 4.

It's the peace

that God

gives us

deep within

that we really

are

God's

chosen

person.

His set

apart person.

His dearly

loved person.

No matter

what else

is going on

it's the peace

that God

puts in our

heart

because we

are one

with him.

Now

we can

experience

that kind

of peace

by living

as Paul

calls us

to live

throughout

Colossians

Colossians 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3.

We can

experience

this kind

of peace

within our

soul

and within

the family

Christian

family

if we

put off

sin

say no

to it

resist

temptation

and put

on as

we've been

seeing

these

Christ-like

character

qualities.

Now

that's not all

he says

he doesn't

just say

the peace

of Christ

he says

he talks

about the

peace

of Christ

ruling

in your

heart

how does

that

happen?

Well the

word rule

here refers

to the

activity

of a

referee

or umpire

in a

game.

The role

of a

referee

or umpire

is to

maintain

control

keep

order

allow the

game to

be played

as it

is intended

to be

played.

The idea

that he's

talking about

here is

let the

peace

of Christ

rule

your life

were to

live in

such a

way

that we

maintain

the peace

of Christ

within

in everything

that we

do.

He's

talking about

how we

go about

making

decisions

and interact

with people

in such

a way

that we

stay close

to the

Lord

that we

experience

his peace

and as far

as we're

concerned

we experience

peace with

other people.

Let's think

about how

this might

work

in some

situations.

Let's

begin with

something

sort of

light

even

fluffy.

Most

churches

in our

area

have both

Carolina

and Clemson

fans.

Both

fans

like to

tease

and insult

the team

that is

not yours.

I love

to insult

you

Gamecock

guys.

And

there's

some of

you

love

to

insult

me.

You

don't

like

winners

you know.

Calm

down

now.

If we

let the

peace

of Christ

rule

in these

kind of

situations

we won't

take our

teasing

too far.

You

have no

idea

how much

restraint

I show.

Especially

throughout

football

season.

And

we

won't

take

offense

when

others

take

their

teasing

us

too

far.

Let me

be serious

for a

moment.

What we're

talking about

is we

will so

value

staying

close

to the

Lord.

Experiencing

his peace.

Demonstrating

Christ-like

character.

That we

will overlook

silly

insults

more than

winning an

argument

about

something

when all

is said

and done

doesn't

really matter.

here.

You see

what I'm

talking

about?

Now,

change the

idea of

the

conflict,

the potential

for conflict

over being a

Carolina or

Clemson fan.

Think about

something serious.

when questions

arise over

something that

the Bible

says clearly

is right

or wrong,

we must,

as God's

people,

take a

stand for

the truth

of God's

Word.

And allowing

the peace of

Christ to

rule in those

situations will

sometimes mean we

have conflict with

somebody who is

opposed to the

truth of God's

Word.

But our

point,

our purpose,

we're more

concerned to

please God,

to stay close

to Him,

to remain in

fellowship with

Him than we

are to please

someone who is

opposed to God's

way, to His

will, to His

Word.

What do you

value most?

Being close

to God or

close to

whoever you're

around at the

time?

Bottom line,

who do you

really and

truly want to

please the

most?

God, by

being faithful

to Him and

His revealed

Word?

Or other

people?

No one should

enjoy conflict.

Seriously.

We should not

seek out

conflict.

We shouldn't

thrive on

conflict.

But as God's

people, when the

truth of God is

at stake, we

must not fear

conflict, and we

must not avoid

conflict.

As long as we're

seeking to please

God, be right

with Him,

experience the

peace of God,

the peace with

God for being

faithful to Him,

we ought to be

able to sleep

well at night,

even if other

people have

something against

us over a

matter of truth.

But let me say

this before we

move on.

We need to be

committed to

speaking the

truth in love.

We need to

defend the

faith in the

right way.

We can't

experience peace

with God in our

heart and be

arrogant, be

rude, be

mean-spirited.

I know some

Christians who

believe right,

but they're

just doggone

mean about it.

That's not what

God calls us to

be, and that's

certainly not going

to help us to

continue on

experiencing the

peace of Christ

within or in the

body of Christ when

we're mean-spirited

about defending the

truth.

When we live like

God's people, we

will make decisions

that will enable us

to preserve the

peace of Christ

within and among

the family.

Let's move on.

Living like God's

people also means

let the word of

Christ dwell in

you.

Verse 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.

Let's look at that.

The word of Christ

refers to the gospel

of Christ or the

teachings of Christ.

Either way, it's

referring to the

authoritative message

about Christ which is

found in scripture.

Now, if we're going to

let the word of Christ

dwell in us richly, we've

got to read it, don't

we?

We've got to know what

the Bible says.

But as important as

that is, reading the

Bible is not enough.

I read things all the

time and just in a

short time, I don't

really remember what it

was.

There's a lot of

mornings I get up and I

look at the weather, see

what it's going to be

that day.

And before Lisa leaves

home, it hadn't been

that long, she'll ask

me, what's the

temperature going to be

today?

Well, I forgot.

I read it, I looked at

it, but I forgot.

We can do that when we

read the Bible.

You know, it is a

commendable goal if you

were reading through

the Bible this year.

It's a commendable goal

to have to read the

Bible every day.

But don't just read it

and check off on your

list that you've read

it.

Just putting content in

your mind is not

enough.

Let the word of Christ

dwell in you richly.

Read it.

Think about it.

Think seriously.

Think deeply about it.

Meditate on it.

Memorize it.

That's what he's

talking about.

And the key to know if

this is happening is

simple.

Do we obey it?

If we're really taking

in the word, dwelling on

the word, letting it

dwell in us richly, we'll

not only believe it, we

will live it.

And notice what else it

says about what we should

be doing with the word.

teaching and admonishing

one another.

Now, for you Carolina

fans, the word admonish

means to warn.

That just sort of got over

your head, I do believe.

Clemson people, they

understand admonish means

to warn.

So I was trying to help

out these game cops.

Now see, that was a test to

see if you're going to let

the peace of Christ dwell

in your heart.

See, I set you up.

Admonish does mean to

warn.

We are to teach and warn

each other based on the

truth of God's word.

You know, most of the

things that we're to do in

the church, it's not from

church leaders to church

members.

Most of what we're called

to do in Scripture is for,

with, to one another like

this.

If you have any doubts,

when you go home today, do

a Google search.

Don't do it here.

And write in there.

Type in there.

The one another's of the

Bible.

And there will be a long

list of things we are called

by God as Christians to do

for, to one another like

this.

How do you advise your

friends, people that come

to you about important,

serious life issues?

We've talked about this

before.

You are probably some people

maybe in your family or

where you work or your

classmates, you are probably

somebody's main Christian

counselor.

You are probably someone in

one of your circles, you're

the go-to person if they have

a real problem and they want

some spiritual, biblical,

Christian guidance.

Well, how do you advise them?

Do you go just by, you know,

your gut feeling?

Do you tell them what you think

they want to hear?

That's not being a friend.

Or do you speak the truth

of God's word?

Years ago, Lisa worked with a

lady.

And she was, she had separated

from her husband contemplating

divorce.

But she knew Lisa was a

Christian and so she talked to

Lisa about it.

Lisa was her counselor.

And they, as friends,

talked.

Lisa said some things about

what the Bible teaches.

This lady really was

interested.

She listened to Lisa.

She actually read the Bible.

She initiated with her husband

Christian counseling.

And in time, they were

reconciled.

God used, Lisa is what I'm

saying.

God will use you

in life-changing ways

in other people's lives

as their counselor,

as their teacher,

as their warner,

admonisher,

if you will be that.

God calls us to teach and warn

one another according to the

wisdom of his word.

Now we also, look in this

passage, we also see that

when we allow the word of

God to dwell in us, it'll

not only produce information

but also emotion

specifically.

It will promote praise,

praise and worship to God

in the forms of music.

Look at this phrase.

Singing psalms and hymns and

spiritual songs with

thanksgiving, thankfulness in

your hearts to God.

Stuart Briscoe comments on

these phrases here like

this.

The fellowship of believers

is a praising community

where people who can sing

beautifully, sing beautifully.

And those who just sing,

just sing.

And those who have voices

like crows with laryngitis

croak to the glory of God.

But nobody just sits there

like an old sourpuss

looking as if they had lost

their last friend having had

their breakfast of onions.

Listen to what he says.

Singing, it really is an

important part of Christian

worship.

And I'm saying that as

someone who really can't

sing.

It is important that we do,

that we worship and praise the

Lord.

But it is important that we

worship and praise the Lord

in a biblically sound way.

According, as the word of God

richly dwells in us.

I want you to know Paul uses

three different words here.

Psalms, hymns, and spiritual

songs.

There's a lot of debate among

New Testament scholars as to

what the differences are.

Are they major or minor?

Let me just say this.

There are some differences.

Psalms, hymns, and spiritual

songs.

That means we should use

different kinds of music in

our worship.

And we do.

Good example this morning.

We sang, this is amazing

grace.

A more contemporary type

song.

We sang an old hymn, amazing

grace.

And I want you to know, God

enjoyed both if they were sung

as an act of worship and praise

to him.

He didn't like one better than

the other.

You may have liked one better

than another.

And that's fine.

I liked one better than

another.

But you know something?

I'm not going to talk about

which one I liked the best,

which one I didn't like as

well.

It's really not about me.

And I got news for you.

When we come here to worship

on Sunday morning, it ain't

about you.

Never is it about you.

When we come here for worship,

it is about worshiping and

praising and honoring and

glorifying God and the Lord

Jesus Christ.

And we're going to do it in as

many different ways as we

possibly can because it's

biblically, as long as it's

biblically sound and it is

because that's what God wants us

to do.

We're different and we have

different ways of expressing our

worship and praise.

But you know, I can really

praise God in different kinds

of ways, even ways that's not

my favorite.

And if it's about praising God,

you can do the same.

You will do the same.

You know, I've been pastor here

a long time.

And I don't think there's anyone

in this room other than maybe

Brian.

I've never said much to him in

all these years.

There's very few people in this

room who knows what my favorite

form of music and worship is.

And I don't care what yours is.

Because we try to do a little

bit of all that is biblically

sound and God focused, God

honoring, praising and worshiping

him, talking about him.

That's what worship really is.

And that's what Paul tells us to

do.

It's got to be biblically sound,

but it needs to be done in a

variety of ways.

Emotion is important.

Let's look at one more way we're

to live like God's people.

Verse 17, let the name of Christ

guide you.

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.

Paul is describing, obviously, every

aspect of our lives when he says,

and whatever you do, in word or

deed.

Whatever you do, what you say, what

you do, everything we should do

should be done in the name of Jesus.

Now, what is he talking about?

We're to think of ourselves as always

being the Lord's representative.

I think that's the best way to think

of it here in this context.

Or as Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5,

we are his ambassadors.

Now, this is a real sobering thought.

Let it sink in.

As Christians, what he's telling us

here, we are to represent Christ in

everything we say and do in our lives.

Let the name of Christ guide us.

That means at home, at work, at

school, wherever we are, with our

friends, with our enemies.

Think about it.

What kind of representative are you

on a typical day?

On some days, we're all poor, poor.

We're all poor, poor.

But on a typical day, do you represent

Christ in a way that is honoring of him?

Or do you represent him, misrepresent

him?

Think about it another way.

The way you represent Christ, are you

attracting people to him?

Or are you turning people away from him

on our typical day?

You know, the Bible does not provide a

verse or even a passage that applies to

every kind of problem we encounter in

life.

But this verse provides one of the best

guidelines for helping us to make wise

decisions about the things the Bible is

not specific about.

For example, whenever you face a situation

and you don't really know how to respond, the

Bible doesn't really address your question.

Well, think to yourself, as a representative of

Jesus Christ, what would be my best response?

How should I respond to most honorably represent the Lord in

this conversation, in this action?

This is one of the ways that God guides us to make wise

decisions when there's no passage that actually addresses the

issue.

Well, let's think about this now.

How well are you living like a child of God?

How well are you living like one of God's special people?

Think.

Look at yourself.

Ask God to help you to see.

Is the love of Christ filling you?

Is the peace of Christ ruling you?

Is the word of Christ dwelling in you?

Is the name of Christ guiding you?

None of this can be true if you don't know Christ as your Lord

and Savior.

I want you to understand.

If you don't know Christ as your Lord and Savior, the only

thing you can do right now is to admit that to the Lord,

humble yourself before Him, turn from your sin, repent,

change your mind, and put your faith in Jesus.

Call upon Him to save you.

But you know, none of this can be true until you do what we've

been looking at throughout this chapter.

Put off sin.

Say no to temptation.

Put on Christ-like character.

And remember, it's only by the power of the indwelling Spirit that

we can do that, but we can do that with His help.

But if that's not how you're living right now, if this is not a good

description, what you see on the screen, go to God right now and just

confess your sin specifically.

Turn from it.

Come back to the Lord and renew your faith, your commitment to Him as the real king of your life.

And keep in mind that repentance and faith is not just a one-time commitment.

As Christians, our lives are just a process of being convicted of our sin, turning from it,

turning to Christ in renewed faith and commitment and love and service.

The Christian life is a life of saying no to sin and temptation.

And saying yes to the Holy Spirit's prompting us and helping us to truly develop Christ-like character.

There's one final thought.

In each of these verses we've looked at this morning, Paul tells us to be thankful.

Every one of those verses, 15, 16, and 17, he says in some way, be thankful.

We need to leave here this morning thankful for the grace that God has shown us,

for the work that He is doing in us every day.

Thankfulness is a sure sign of people who know they belong to God.

If you know you are chosen by Him, that He has truly set you apart as His child,

if you truly know that you are a dearly loved child of God,

you will be thankful and you will express it to Him in word and in deed.

Let's pray together.

Father, help us to see right now how we should respond.

Convict us.

Encourage us.

Affirm us.

Whatever we need.

Call people in this room who are not Christians to real faith in Jesus.

Call Christians who are being unfaithful right now.

Back to you.

Encourage Christians, Father, who are seeking to be sensitive to your spirit and obedient and faithful to your word.

Encourage those who are struggling.

Use those who are truly seeking to walk faithfully with you to help others and be an example and a counselor to others.

Father, show us all how we should respond and help us to do it right now.

Let's just all do that in attitude of prayer.

If I could pray with you during this time, I'd be happy to do that.

But as always, the important thing is that you listen to God and obey Him in these next few minutes.