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So anyways, we're going to look 
at the corporate conduct of the believer. This morning I alluded 
to or made mention of the fact that those who confess saving 
faith in the Lord Jesus Christ must conduct themselves in a 
manner worthy of the gospel. Much of our study there in 1 
Timothy, especially in chapter 6, focused primarily on Timothy 
specifically, the man of God, and certainly to the church, 
but I thought it would be good for us to examine Colossians 
3, 12-17, the corporate conduct of the believer, our responsibility 
with reference to other believers, and our responsibility within 
the context of the local church. I think 12-14 in the chapter 
here deals specifically with our conduct or our character 
towards people in general, And then 15 to 17 deals specifically 
with reference to the one body alluded to there in verse 15. 
So the church, the way we are to carry out ourselves, the way 
we are to act with one another in the context of the local body. 
So I'll pick up reading in Colossians 3 at verse 1. It's important 
to see the flow of the narrative and the context in this setting. 
If, then, you were raised with Christ, seek those things which 
are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set 
your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you 
died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, 
who is our life, appears, then you also will appear with Him 
in glory. Therefore, put to death your 
members which are on the earth, fornication, uncleanness, passion, 
evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of 
these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 
in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. 
But now you yourselves are to put off all these, anger, wrath, 
malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie 
to one another, since you have put off the old man with his 
deeds. and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge 
according to the image of him who created him. Where there 
is neither great nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, 
Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all. Therefore, as the elect of God, 
holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, 
meekness, long-suffering, bearing with one another, and forgiving 
one another, if anyone has a complaint against another, even as Christ 
forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things, 
put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace 
of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in 
one body. And be thankful. Let the word 
of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing 
one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing 
with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do 
in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving 
thanks to God the Father through him. Wives, submit to your own 
husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives 
and do not be bitter toward them. Children, obey your parents in 
all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not 
provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. Bondservants, 
obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with 
eye service as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing 
God. And whatever you do, do it heartily, 
as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you 
will receive the reward of the inheritance, for you serve the 
Lord Christ. But he who does wrong will be 
repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality. Masters, 
give your bondservants what is just and fair, knowing that you 
also have a Master in heaven. Amen." Well, let us pray. Our 
Father, we thank You for Your Word, and we pray now for the 
ministry of Your Spirit again. We confess our transgressions 
and pray for cleansing. We ask that the Spirit would 
guide us and direct us into a consideration of our corporate conduct toward 
one another, both on the personal level and with reference to the 
church gathered. We pray, God, that you would 
cause us, as a church, to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit. 
in the bond of peace. Cause us to pursue those things 
which are pleasing to you and specified in the Holy Scriptures. 
There ought never to be a day when the Christian, when the 
church says, what does God want for us? It is so clearly revealed 
unto us and we pray that you would give us the mind of Christ 
so that we may receive these things and act upon them. And 
we pray through Christ our Lord, Amen." Well the Apostle Paul 
here in Colossians at this particular point reminds the people of God 
with reference to their place, their status, their position 
in the Lord Jesus Christ. He does this in chapter 3 verses 
1 to 4. If then you were raised with 
Christ. He's speaking to people who are 
justified. He's speaking to Christians. 
He's speaking to believers. If then you were raised with 
Christ, here's the responsibility. Seek those things which are above. 
where Christ is at the right hand of God. Set your mind on 
things above, not on things on the earth. The reason, verse 
3, for you died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 
When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with 
Him in glory. So it is a particular mindset. 
The people of God look to the risen, glorified Savior in order 
to conduct themselves in a manner that is consistent with His Word. 
here on earth. Paul then indicates there are 
certain things that Christians are to put off. There are vices 
that must be shunned. That is verses 5 to 11. He then says there are virtues 
that are to be put on, verses 12 to 17. He then calls us to 
be submissive in verses 18 to 41. In our various relationships, 
we are to submit to one another in a manner that is well-pleasing 
to God Most High. If you remember a couple of years 
ago, we surveyed this section and I call it the portrait of 
a new man. This is the new man in Christ 
Jesus, and this is how he is to conduct himself. He puts on 
vice, he puts on virtue, and he engages in biblical relationships 
the way that God specifies and spells out in this passage. So again, we're focusing on, 
first of all, the character of the new man in verses 12 to 14, 
And then secondly, the corporate conduct of the new man in verses 
15 to 17. It may seem a bit of an arbitrary 
break, but I think, as I said, 12 to 14 are sort of general 
overall characteristics that we're always to exemplify toward 
other believers. 15 to 17 seem to bring us into 
the actual gathered church and our conduct there. So first, 
note the character of the new man, his identity. Verse 12, 
therefore, as the elect of God. You see, we do not live apart 
from that reality. We're not where we're at because 
of our goodness, because of our wisdom. As we saw this morning, 
it is not of flesh and blood that we make this good confession. 
We are where we are, meaning that we're justified freely by 
His grace. because of sovereign grace, because 
of election, because of those truths specified in Ephesians 
chapter 1. God chose us in Him before the 
foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless. Paul then says in love God has 
predestined us unto adoption as sons by Christ Jesus." So 
we need to remember this. We are the elect of God. Obviously, 
Israel of old failed to remember this. This is the whole point 
with reference to that symbol of the sash. God elected Israel 
to wrap around His waist, to mediate His glory, to mediate 
His blessing, to mediate His majesty to the nations around 
Israel. They did not conduct themselves 
as the elect of God. They did not conduct themselves 
as the prized possession of the God of Israel. That's not to 
be the case with us. We need to be mindful. God has 
chosen us. God has elected us. God has brought 
us to this position and to this place, and therefore, as the 
elect of God, we are to pursue these things. Let no one ever 
say sovereign grace always results in antinomianism or sovereign 
grace diminishes personal responsibility. It's just the opposite. Here 
in chapter 3, verses 12 and following, it is sovereign grace that is 
the foundation and the reason and the necessity behind pursuing 
holiness and righteousness and godliness. Therefore, as the 
elect of God, do these things. Because you are saved by grace, 
do these things. You see the contrasting position 
in every other works righteousness religion. It is do these things 
in order to be elected. No, God elects us by His grace, 
brings us into that place of salvation, and then calls us 
to flesh out Christian ethics in our daily lives as a result 
of having been justified by His grace. Now notice His character, 
12b. His character, as the elect of 
God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, 
meekness, long-suffering. These are the sorts of things 
we're to put on. These are the sorts of things 
we are to cultivate. These are the sorts of things 
we are to develop. What is the implication? prior 
to coming out of the darkness into marvelous light, everything 
about you was just the opposite. Remember, this is the conduct 
of the new man. The old man is just the opposite. The old man has no tender mercies, 
the old man has no kindness, he certainly doesn't have humility, 
he certainly isn't a meek person, and he doesn't have patience 
or long-suffering. But as the elect of God, those 
who've been called out of darkness Those who are in Jesus Christ, 
these ought to be the things that you're prayerfully seeking 
to put on. These are the sorts of things 
that you are certainly trying to imbibe and flesh out. Tender 
mercies. Tender mercies. We are to be 
filled with that Jeremiah-ish spirit. What does Jeremiah say 
when impending doom is coming upon Jerusalem? He's going to 
weep. He's going to sorrow. It's going 
to affect him. It pains him. He's got tender 
mercies. Our Lord Jesus Christ, the same 
thing. He goes to Jerusalem. He weeps 
over the city. He says, I wanted to gather you 
under my arms the way that a hen gathers her chicks under her 
wings, but you are not willing." It's a city that is consigned 
to judgment. It's a city that's going to be 
sacked a generation after his ascension on high. And nevertheless, 
he is affected by the reality that these people are going to 
be doomed. He cries, he weeps, he sheds 
tears. We see this sort of thing in 
the Apostle Paul when he's speaking to the elders in Ephesus. He 
said, I was with you for these three years and I didn't cease 
to warn you with tears," he says. Tender mercies. The second thing 
we are to cultivate is kindness. Kindness. You think, well, these 
are pretty obvious. I mean, there's kind pagans, 
and there's kind idolaters, and there are kind heathens. Kindness 
is biblically defined. Kindness is that attribute or 
that virtue where we genuinely do good things for that particular 
person. I was just speaking to a young 
man who works for a company, and this company does these acts 
of kindness in the community. But when you go do these acts 
of kindness in the community, you have to wear the company 
t-shirt. You gotta get credit. Well, is that really kind or 
is it advertising? I mean, yeah, it's kind. It's 
better to do nice things than not. But there's something disingenuous 
about the whole thing. It's an advertisement for that 
particular company. It's a, hey, look at the good 
things that we're doing. That's not Christian kindness. You don't do it to get something 
as a result. Paul then says humility. Humility. Has anyone in this place mastered 
their pursuit of humility? If you raise your hand, you may 
exit through the back door. This is a lifelong pursuit. We need to pursue, we need to 
put on humility. God resists the proud, but He 
gives grace to the humble. The Lord God Most High dwells 
in heaven. Earth is His footstool. The one 
upon whom he looks is the one who is of a humble and of a contrite 
spirit and the one who trembles at his word. There is everything 
about humility that the Christian ought to pursue. You don't pursue 
it and brag about it. You don't gain some and brag 
about it because you're undoing the whole thing itself. We need, 
as new men and women in Christ Jesus, to cultivate humility. Meekness. The whole idea of meekness 
is not doormat. It is, however, giving preference 
to others. It is imbibing that spirit that 
we see outlined later in the chapter and we see in the parallel 
in Ephesians 5, submitting to one another in the fear of Christ. 
Do not always demand upon your own rights. Do not always put 
yourself first, but meekness is power under control and you're 
able and willing to assume a position that is less than your brethren. 
and then long-suffering. This, again, an identification 
of his personal character, long-suffering and patience. I'm convinced that 
if you just drive through Chilliwack on a regular basis, this will 
help you greatly in your pursuit. of patience. This is something 
that mirrors, reflects, and is indicative of our God. He is long-suffering. He is patient, and we, his people, 
need to be likewise to others. Now notice his community relationships, 
the way that he deals with others. These identify his character. 
Now notice in verse 13 when he bumps shoulders with his brethren, 
he bears with one another. He's not the short-fused guy 
that can't handle a little bit of friction. If you haven't found 
out yet, in your own family and in your church family, there's 
going to be friction. Do not have a short fuse. Have 
a long fuse. Be patient, brethren. Bear with 
one another. It is not the case that everybody's 
always going to treat you as wonderfully as you believe everybody 
should always treat you. That's just not reality. You need to bear with one another. You need to be long-suffering 
in your dealings with one another. Spurgeon well said, if we had 
bearing and forebearing, we'd be a lot better off in the life 
of the church. He calls them the two bears. 
We need to bear with one another, verse 13, and forgiving one another. If anyone has a complaint against 
another, even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. You are not to harbor grudges, 
you're not to hold on to things. If your brethren repent, if they 
confess their sin, according to the Bible, you're supposed 
to forgive them. There are things that are involved 
in this particular aspect of church life, and it is the gospel. Notice, forgive even as Christ 
forgave you. The logic seems to be this, if 
Christ shed his blood and washed you from all of your sins, iniquity, 
and depravity, then certainly when somebody comes along in 
the life of the church and they offend you, and then they confess 
it, forsake it, and repent of it, Don't hold a grudge against 
them, forgive them. forgive within your families. I can't believe that she sinned 
against me. Forgive her. I can't believe 
that he did this. Forgive them. Brethren, this 
is the way we are to make it in this lower world, bearing 
with one another and forgiving one another. This is the petition 
in the Lord's Prayer. Forgive us our debts as we forgive 
those who are indebted to us. You see, and then Jesus goes 
on to amplify that particular petition, and he says, if you 
don't forgive, then you'll not be forgiven. The idea being, 
those who have been justified freely by God's grace will be 
forgiving others. If you're not forgiving others, 
that's an indicator that you're not justified freely by His grace. You see, it is a fruit, it is 
a consequence, it is the reality that those who have been forgiven 
by Christ then in turn forgive others. It's a beautiful thing. 
That's the character of the new man. Now let us look at his corporate 
conduct in verses 15 to 17. Three themes emerge in this section. We need to consider the peace 
of Christ, the word of Christ, and the name of Christ. Note 
first the peace of Christ in verse, oh I'm sorry, backing 
up for just one moment. His supreme obligation is found 
in verse 14, "...but above all these things put on love, which 
is the bond of perfection." This is the supreme obligation of 
the Christian man. This is the supreme obligation 
of the believer in Christ Jesus toward other believers. Yes, 
you're to exercise a general benevolence to all men. We are 
to do good to all, the Apostle Paul says in the book of Galatians, 
especially to those of the household of faith. So we love all men. 
The Bible tells us this. Now obviously, there are certain 
things that go into that consideration, but just dealing with this supreme 
obligation, we're to love the brethren. Isn't this how John 
defines or identifies if we passed from death to life? This is a 
big test, isn't it? We know that we have passed from 
death to life if we love the brethren. Now, if I was John, 
I might have written, we know we've passed from death to life 
if we can articulate impassibility. We know that we have passed from 
death to life if we can cite all the chapters in the Confession 
of Aid. We know that we have passed from 
death to life if we show up at every meeting and we have our 
pencil and we're taking notes and we look alert. That's not 
what John says. We know that we have passed from 
death to life if we have love for the brethren. The man who 
says he loves God and hates his brother is a liar. It's just 
the reality of it, the supreme obligation that we find enjoined 
upon us as new men and new women in Christ Jesus, is to love one 
another. Isn't this the identifying mark, 
the badge, if you will, of the Christian Church? You know, you 
see those stories where the guy whips out his badge, he says, 
I'm with the FBI, or I'm with the RCMP, or I'm detective so-and-so. What is the badge? What is the 
display for the Church? Jesus said, by this all men will 
know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. This is the supreme obligation 
above all these things, and these things are important. Tender 
mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, long-suffering, bearing 
with one another, forgiving one another. Above all these things 
put on love, which is the bond of perfection. Why is this supreme 
obligation? Because if you have this, love, 
then all these other things flow as a result of this. If you don't 
have love, then those things will be absent. They will be 
missing. So you love your brethren. And 
therefore, you conduct yourself the way that God says in these 
other verses toward that. Because you love, you put on 
tender mercies. Because you love, you're kind, 
you're humble, you're meek, you're long-suffering. Because you love 
that person, you bear with that. Because you love that person, 
you forgive that. And because you love God, you 
seek to do the things that he calls us to do in the context 
of the local church. Notice the corporate conduct, 
peace, word, name. The peace of Christ, verse 15, 
let the peace of God rule in your hearts to which also you 
were called in one body and be thankful. You see, the one body 
here seems to indicate that we've moved from general conduct to 
believers to the conduct that is necessary in the house of 
God. The Church. What is to mark our church as? Peace. Not peace because there's 
an absence of doctrine, there's an absence of conviction, there's 
an absence of anything that might possibly be controversial. No, 
it is a peace that is wrought by the Spirit, endeavoring to 
keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, Paul says 
in Ephesians 4.1. Let the peace of God rule in 
your hearts, to which also you were called in one body. Have 
you ever been in a church where peace has been absent? Have you 
ever been in a church where peace is lacking? Have you ever been 
in a church where there is turmoil and infighting and all kinds 
of problems, and these things that are specified in the text 
are absent? Is that a pleasant place to go 
to? Are you happy, refreshed, and joyful when you come away 
from that? Or your guts are in knots, your heart is in turmoil, 
and you hate the reality that we can't get along together? 
Paul says, let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which 
also you were called in one body, and be thankful. Brethren, we 
can cultivate peace because the thing that brings us together 
in unity together is the peace of God given to us in justification. Remember Romans 5.1, Paul says, 
therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with 
God. So you see, the idea seems to 
be that when you get a handful of people that are justified 
by faith, and then you put them in a room together, they don't 
kill each other. They don't cut each other's throats. 
They don't backbite. They don't slander. They don't 
gossip. They don't engage in contentiousness. They don't engage in chaos and 
confusion. They don't engage in pursued 
disharmony. The idea seems to be that because 
we've been justified vertically, now we have peace with God, and 
therefore that peace can radiate amongst our churches. That peace 
that Jesus spoke of in John 14, 27. Peace I leave with you, my 
peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give 
to you. Let not your heart be troubled, 
neither let it be afraid. Notice in our text, let the peace 
of God rule in your heart. It ought not just to make an 
occasional visit. It ought not just to fill a spot 
on a Sunday morning. It ought not to just make a casual 
acquaintance in the context of God's people. The reality is 
that this word, rule in your hearts, means to referee, to 
be an umpire, to call a decision, to decide between, then in a 
figurative sense, to direct, to administer, to control. John 
Eady said it was not merely to have existence. Peace is not 
merely to have existence in the context of the church, but it 
was to exercise supreme command. This is the emphasis in verse 
15. Let the peace of God rule in 
your hearts, to which also you were called, in one body, and 
be thankful. Now, we ought to qualify this. 
The pastor's preaching heresy. Don't say, well, for the sake 
of peace, I'm just gonna, you know, knuckle under and bear 
it. No, if the pastor stands up and he denies the divinity 
of Jesus Christ, it is not an attack or a breach upon this 
verse to take him aside and say, you know, pastor, you just preached 
Christ as a creature. Perhaps it was a mistake. Maybe 
you messed up. Can you please qualify what you 
meant? No, I believe that Christ is a creature. You go tell someone 
else and you bring it. That's not a breach of peace. 
That is, to maintain the truth that is absolutely necessary 
in the context of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. A pursuit 
of peace is, however, requisite among the people of God. This 
is what Paul says, "...to which also you were called in one body." 
The Church is one body. The people of God have been called 
to salvation. and they've also been called 
to function in peaceful harmony with one another. I mean, I gotta 
tell you, it is so much more blessed to have peace in the 
context of a Sabbath day worship than to have disharmony, or disunity, 
or a lack of peace. Brethren, this is something that, 
as Paul says, we need to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit 
in the bond of peace. It is something to prize, and 
to value, and to cherish, and to praise God, and be thankful 
for. F.F. Bruce says strife inevitably 
results when men and women are out of touch with Him who is 
the one source of true peace. That's perceptive. You're not 
going to have peace horizontally when you don't have peace vertically. 
That's the emphasis in Romans 5. Therefore, having been justified 
by faith, we have peace with God. Yeah, we have peace with 
God. Now we have the means to have 
peace with one another. You've got a bunch of people 
that have peace with God that sit with one another. Certainly 
they ought to be able to have peace with each other. We have 
that common unity. We have that common bond, that 
identifying mark. Strife inevitably results when 
men and women are out of touch with him who is the source or 
the one source of true peace. But there is no reason why those 
who have received the peace which Christ established by his death 
on the cross should have any other than peaceful relations 
among themselves. There's no reason for it. There 
shouldn't be disharmony. There shouldn't be this breach. 
There shouldn't be this confusion and this chaos. It results because 
we do not let the peace of God rule in our hearts." You ever 
met those people that just for whatever reason don't like it 
when there's peace? It's always got to be controversial. It's always got to be, you know, 
up here and fighting and content. Just chill out. Back it down. Enjoy peace. Relax. Enjoy the 
harmony. Praise God we don't have Muslims 
coming over the fence to cut our heads off. I mean, praise 
the Lord most high. And then we get these first world 
problems that really just bug us and affect us so much. Perhaps 
it's good for us to consider what is going on in the rest 
of the world. and then perhaps we won't be 
so petty and breach the peace that is supposed to rule in our 
hearts." He then says, thankfulness. Be thankful. Be thankful. Moose says, believers who are 
full of gratitude to God for his gracious calling will find 
it easier to extend fellow believers the grace of love and forgiveness 
and to put aside petty issues that might inhibit the expression 
of peace in the community. Blessed thing. Let peace rule 
in your hearts. Be thankful. When you're thankful, 
what happens? You let peace rule in your hearts. 
When you let peace rule in your hearts, guess what? You're thankful. 
When you're thankful, you let peace rule in your hearts. I 
could say that ten more times, but I think you probably get 
it. You see, these things work in union, they work in harmony, 
they work in conjunction. And the church that does not 
pursue these things, does not achieve them. And we ought not 
to be that way. Secondly, the Word of Christ. 
Notice, verse 16. Let the Word of Christ dwell 
in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one 
another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with 
grace in your hearts to the Lord. Now, this text in the New King 
James seems to indicate that the way that we teach others 
is through singing. There seems to be validation 
to that particular interpretation when we look at Ephesians 5.19. 
But the grammar in this passage, I think, is better captured by 
the ESV. And what happens in the ESV is 
this, let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly. That's the over-emphasis... writing 
concern, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, comma, 
and then singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness 
in your hearts to God. The new King James seems to envision 
that as we sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs we are thereby 
teaching one another. I think there is a truth to that, 
again especially in light of Ephesians 5.19, but the grammar 
here in Colossians 3 seems to indicate that the ESV got it 
more accurate. What we have is, let the Word 
of Christ dwell in us richly. Because the Word of Christ dwells 
in us richly, we will teach and admonish one another in all wisdom. 
We'll look at that in just a moment. Because the Word of Christ dwells 
in us richly, we not only teach one another, or teach and admonish 
one another in all wisdom, but we also sing psalms and hymns 
and spiritual songs, again with thankfulness in your hearts. 
Now what does it mean to let the Word of Christ dwell in our 
hearts richly? It means that you need to take 
it in. It means that you come to preaching, 
or you listen to preaching, or you listen to Bible study. There 
is a corporate element. The Bible sees, and the Bible 
envisions, and the confessions of faith see, this emphasis on 
the public means. God is well pleased through the 
foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe." The 
last statement Paul gave to Timothy in terms of an official capacity 
responsibility was to preach the word. Be ready in season 
and out of season, convince, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering. Brethren, Spurgeon could fall 
out of heaven. Calvin could occupy a pulpit 
in Abbotsford. John Knox could thunder again 
in Vancouver. But if no one's there to hear 
them, what good does it do? What good does it do? The tree 
falls in the forest, does it make a sound? Or nobody's there 
to hear it, does it make a sound? What's the sound of one hand 
clapping? Real philosophical here. It doesn't just happen. You ever meet those people, wow, 
I really want to know more about the Bible. I got a zany idea, 
read it. I want to know more theology, 
show up. I want to grow in my understanding 
of doctrine. There are plenty of means available 
for you. If you are wondering, just ask. Click here, look at that, read 
this, and go. Let the Word of Christ dwell 
in you richly. Richly, not just a little bit, 
not just a little piece. The word must saturate the heart 
of men. Corporately, be in the public 
means of worship. Do not absent yourself when preaching 
is going on or teaching is being conducted. Be there and listen 
and take notes and drink it in or whatever. But as well privately. That man in Psalm 119, David, 
verses 9 to 16, I think sets a paradigm for personal or individual 
or private Bible study. Psalm 119, verses 9 to 16. Sometimes one of the complaints 
against us Reformed, at least Reformed Baptists, well, you 
put all this emphasis on the public preaching of the Word. 
Can't people read their Bibles in private? Yes, absolutely, 
they should read their Bibles. No Reformed Baptist I've ever 
met says it's only the public ministry of the Word. No, it's 
the public ministry, it's the private ministry. I think the 
two benefit from one another. If you are actually doing your 
Bible study in a given day, through the week, when you come to church, 
you're more ready to receive the Word of God. The Word of 
God preached on the Lord's Day may hopefully help you in your 
own personal times of study and reflection and contemplation. 
It isn't as if there's this contrast, it's there's a conjunction, the 
two work together. Those people that say, all that 
emphasis upon the public means. Well, I'll just read my Bible 
on my own and I'll get holy. Well, then I suggest you read 
your Bible the way this brother does. Notice Psalm 119, 9. How can a young man cleanse his 
way? By taking heed according to your word. Now, what does 
taking heed according to your word look like, David? Well, 
I'm going to tell you. Verse 10, with my whole heart 
I have sought you. Oh, let me not wander from your 
commandments. Your word I have hidden in my heart that I might 
not sin against you. Blessed are you, O Lord, teach 
me your statutes. With my lips I have declared 
all the judgments of your mouth. I have rejoiced in the way of 
your testimonies as much as in all riches. I will meditate on 
your precepts and contemplate your ways. I will delight myself 
in your statutes. I will not forget your word. 
Now there's a great example of what personal Bible study ought 
to look like. When you do that, praise God. 
That is a pursuit of letting the Word of Christ dwell in you 
richly with all thankfulness. Notice he goes on singing in 
Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. singing psalms and hymns 
and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. You see, 
I think there's two errors we can fall into when it comes to 
corporate worship singing. we can overemphasize it or we 
can underemphasize it. Overemphasize is an hour long 
singing time and people are just enjoying the tunes and going 
through it and going for it and then like a five or ten minute 
preaching time. They call it the hour-long singing 
worship, and then we have sort of this Bible time. Well, this 
preaching of God's Word is an act of worship in every bit as 
much as the singing of psalms and hymns and spiritual song. 
So we don't want to overemphasize, but we don't want to underemphasize 
as well. I don't know about you, but I thought those were good 
hymn choices tonight. Isn't it great to sing 219? I 
mean, that's Revelation 5. I mean, I hope that's what you 
think. You think Throne Room of Heaven when we sing that hymn, 
219. 457, O thou from whom all goodness 
flows. I mean, who can sing that without 
being happy there in Jesus? And then 599. I mean, if that's 
not our future opened up in Him, I don't know what is. It's a 
beautiful display of Christian doctrine, Christian truth, emphasizing 
the reality that our God has saved us and there is movement 
toward heaven. Singing is important in the life 
and context of the church. And the Apostle stipulates psalms 
and hymns and spiritual songs. Now there are brethren that believe 
that we are only to sing the psalms. And I personally think 
we ought not to discard their arguments so quickly. In other 
words, they have some weight in terms of their understanding. 
One thing I'm not prepared to do at this particular point is 
embrace that position wholly, but at the same time I think 
psalm singing is crucial to the health and life and balance of 
the Church of Christ. Listen to two quotes. Robert 
L. Raymond said this concerning 
psalm singing. Commenting on singing in worship, 
it will also include the much neglected singing of psalms. Isn't that the case? I mean thankfully 
we have a Psalter and we try to work them in. We've got hymns 
in our hymn book that are actually Psalms that have been reworked 
or retooled a little bit and they find themselves in a hymn 
book. But I think Raymond's right. Outside of the Reformed tradition, 
certainly within the Dutch Reformed, psalms only. They use the Psalter, 
they use that particular songbook. Raymond says it will also include, 
speaking about singing in worship, it will also include the much 
neglected singing of psalms, which express the full range 
of human emotions in worship. I think this is something we 
need to appreciate. We have this idea that repeating 
the same thing about Jesus 15, 20, 25, 35 times is a way to 
express ourselves. May I suggest Psalm 42 and Psalm 
43 as a way to express ourselves? Why are you cast down, O my soul? What hymn writer writes hymns 
like that? What hymn writer actually laments in a hymn? What hymn 
writer actually identifies the stark contrast between the righteous 
and the wicked? What hymn writer actually calls 
upon God to visit with judgment and punishment the enemies of 
Jehovah? Hymn writers don't typically do that. He says, which express 
the full range of human emotions in worship. The biblical Psalms 
are realistic in a way that many hymns are not, and choruses can 
hardly ever be. Again, if you read the Psalms, 
you'll know this is true. Aren't the Psalms real? You say, 
yeah, they're right there in my Bible. I know, I'm not talking 
existentially. I'm talking about practically. 
You get the whole range of realistic emotion. The psalmist doesn't 
hide the fact that he's struggling. I mean, Asaph goes so far as 
to say, God is good to Israel to such as do His will. But as for me, my foot nearly 
slipped. Could you imagine Asaph in a 
modern prayer meeting saying, could y'all pray for me? Why, 
Asaph? Because I was walking down the 
street and I saw that the righteous flourish, or the righteous suffer 
and the wicked flourish, and it pained me. It hurt. I wondered why. God is good to 
Israel, to such who are upright in heart. Why is it that the 
righteous are suffering? Why is it? That's the tenor of 
Psalm 73, "...until I went into the sanctuary of the Lord." Then 
I understood. God has set them in a slippery 
place. God is going to bring judgment 
upon them. There's a realism in the Psalms 
of Asaph, not especially, but as well, that you typically don't 
find. Psalm 88, read that sometime. Most every psalm that I know 
of ends on a happy note. Not Psalm 88, sad. All the way through, it ends 
sad. But then comes Psalm 89, the 
covenant psalm. God's grace, mercy, and blessing 
in that covenant He makes with His Son. Brethren, I think Raymond's 
right. They also contrast the righteous 
and the wicked, highlight the conflict between them, and thereby 
encourage a bold, militant spirituality such as the Huguenot and Puritan 
forefathers knew and lived by. Gordon Clark says, singing hymns 
does not imply that the cheap, catchy ditties of some modern 
evangelism, if it is evangelism at all, are superior to the Psalms 
of David. and a hymn book without a good 
proportion of Psalms is not fit for a church service." So Psalms, 
excuse me, hymns and spiritual songs. As the Word of Christ 
dwells in us richly, we teach and admonish brethren, we sing 
in an informed and intelligent manner to the living and true 
God. And this is the emphasis in this 
passage. And then finally, the name of 
Christ, verse 17. In case the instructions before 
this are not complete or comprehensive, Paul now says, "...and whatever 
you do." Whatever you do. He's given very specific direction 
to the church with reference to this pursuit of peace and 
this Word of Christ richly dwelling in their hearts. And then in 
verse 17, "...and whatever you do in word or deed, do all in 
the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father, through 
Him." Again, Douglas Moos says, "...to do all things in the name 
of the Lord Jesus, then, does not mean simply to utter Jesus' 
name, but to act always in concert with the nature and character 
of our Lord." People can utter Jesus' name. Have you ever gotten 
a particularly nasty email and they sign off, in Christ, or 
in Jesus? It just doesn't feel right. He just tore me apart. In love, 
in Christ, it just doesn't feel legit. People can do this in 
Jesus' name, in Jesus' name. It's not the recitation of His 
name. Moose says it does not mean simply 
to utter Jesus' name, but to act always in concert with the 
nature and character of our Lord. And he ends on that note of giving 
thanks to God the Father. That is a replete theme in Colossians 
1, 3, 1, 12, 2, 7, 3, 15, 3, 17, 4, Thanksgiving is a recurring theme 
in the book of Colossians. So the portrait of a new man 
developed in Colossians 3 by the Apostle Paul. He sets his 
mind on things above where Christ is. He puts off sins of the flesh 
and sins of the tongue. He puts on virtues consistent 
with the Lord Christ. He is governed by the peace of 
Christ, fills himself with the word of Christ, and does everything 
in the name of Christ in a spirit of thankfulness. I think that 
is an accurate, at least summary statement of the teaching of 
Colossians chapter 3. As well, the peace of Christ, 
we ought to pursue that in our context. We ought to pursue peace 
in the church at all costs. Not, again, compromising truth 
or anything like that. We're going to lie so that we 
can keep the peace. No, we don't sin in order to preserve peace. 
But as far as we are able, as far as it depends upon us, Paul 
says, be at peace with all men. That's in a generic, general 
context with reference to people out there. If that's the case, 
as far as it depends upon you, be at peace with all believers. Pursue peace. Pursue those things. And then finally, the indwelling 
Word of Christ. MacArthur makes an interesting 
observation when we set this side by side with Ephesians 5. In Ephesians 5, the filling of 
the spirit precedes the speaking to one another in psalms and 
hymns and spiritual songs. It's not here in Colossians. 
It doesn't mean the concept or the theme is absent. You know, 
writing to different audiences, different emphases. But the same 
idea in terms of singing psalms, hymns, spiritual songs. In the 
Ephesians passage, the spirit comes first. MacArthur says, 
the Holy Spirit fills the life controlled by His Word. This 
emphasizes that the filling of the Spirit is not some ecstatic 
or emotional experience, but a steady controlling of the life 
by obedience to the truth of God's Word. Let the Word of Christ 
dwell in you richly. Pray the Holy Spirit to take 
that truth, to screw it into your own heart, so that you may 
help and teach and admonish one another. This doesn't mean that 
every time a brother says, wow, I've got an issue in my life. 
Well, open your Bible to Colossians 3, because I've got three points 
for you. Don't be that guy. The teaching and admonishing 
isn't necessarily in a formal manner. Well, I'm glad you're 
struggling because I've got a five-point sermon for you. That's not what 
Paul means, teaching and admonishing one another. He means have Scripture 
dwelling in your heart so you can exhort, encourage love on 
a brother with the word of truth. Now, there are times, let's open 
to Colossians, let's open to Ephesians, let's open to Deuteronomy. 
That's fine and consistent, but when a brother has had a tough 
go at something, he's sorrowing over something, he doesn't need 
your ten principles on how to navigate himself out of this 
hole. come alongside of him, hug him, hold him, give him some 
scripture, teach him and admonish him in that setting and in that 
context. Well those are some things that 
I hope and pray will be of help to us in our pursuit of this 
conduct that is for God's people as a result of God's grace in 
our lives. Well let us pray. Father, we 
thank you for your word and we pray that you would cause us 
to let the word of Christ dwell in our hearts richly, in all 
wisdom. Help us to be teachers and admonishers 
of one another, not necessarily in a formal sense, but informally 
loving and encouraging and seeking to build one another up in our 
most holy faith. As well, as we gather together 
on the Lord's days, may our singing of psalms and hymns and spiritual 
songs be for your glory, and may it be for your honor, and 
may it do genuine good to our hearts and our souls and our 
minds as we sing sound doctrine back to our living and true God. 
and give us grace to pursue the virtues specified in the earlier 
portion, help us to be a kind, a gentle, a people full of tender 
mercies and long-suffering. And we ask now that you would 
go with us, watch over us in this coming week, grant us grace, 
Father, to live in a manner that is consistent with your word. 
And we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.