[Transcript represents full sermon's text]

       Colossians 3, starting in verse 15: “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body.” (ESV).

       Before we dive into some of the specifics behind this oneness of peace within the church body, let’s consider a ‘big picture’ perspective of what Paul is talking about. Let’s think about how this peace that we now have, or are supposed to have, came about. And in order for us to do this, let’s look at a couple verses from Paul’s Letter to the Romans, namely chapter 5. Let’s go to verse 10: “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation” (ESV). We understand, then, that at one time we were technically enemies of God, back before we were saved, before we were born again. What is interesting regarding this is that really, if you stop and think about it, we were probably more enemies of God ourselves than he was of us. By that it is meant we were actually the haters of God. It was Jesus, after all, who died on the cross for our sins, who made a way for us to come into personal relationship with God. It is as Paul said in verse 8 here in Romans 5, just before the part we just read, “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (ESV).

       It makes sense that Paul brings up peace in Colossians, and that peace ruling in the believer’s hearts. He just spent the last couple verses in chapter 3 of Colossians examining this whole concept, really. He told everyone, “as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” He also stated that the believers need to put on love because it “binds everything together in perfect harmony.” So with the forgiveness and the love then comes peace. When we are forgiving each other in the body of Christ for any offenses that occur, instead of holding things against each other, and when we are practicing love, helping each other out when the occasion arises, it only makes sense that there would be peace. The two preceding areas lead to peace, but this peace too is something that we have to “let… rule in our hearts.” With the letting of peace rule then must come the awareness that it is present. It is realizing the contrast that we have within the church walls versus the rest of the world. Because we are following God the way we are supposed to within the body, the peace is present. Elsewhere, where proper ways of treating each other aren’t followed, there is not peace. What we have then in unique, and characteristic of Christians.

       We “were called” to this peace, then, “in one body.” We learn two things at this point. It’s something that we are supposed to be practicing, note, the higher calling. The peace is a call. It’s not something, again, that occurs without proper actions toward one another, without properly treating one another with the forgiveness and love. It’s a collective call, and one that will fall into place when we are doing what is right. But the second thing we learn is that we are supposed to be “one body.” Just one body, and not two, three, or more. We don’t want divisions among each other, like Paul talked about with the Corinthians, and we don’t want to be treating others as special and others as not, as James referred to as regards wealth. We want to be one body, having one mind, all striving in the same direction. This promotes peace obviously. If we are arguing over the minuscule, pointless things as pertains to the Christian life, as pertains to service times, music in worship, what believers are to wear to church, what positions there should be… things like these, then we aren’t in a peaceful environment. We’ve lost focus of what is truly important. If we have to, it’s best to set aside our own personal preferences for the sake of peace. In fact, there are going to be times each and every one of has to do that in order to maintain an order of peace.

       In the discussion of this external peace, then, is there in fact an internal peace that comes about for the believer? When Paul said, “let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts,” is any of this ruling actually a feeling of peace for the Christian that he or she can count on in daily life? In view of the body of Christ, certainly so. In view of the great truths we have been talking about, that when we treat each other the right ways, there is peace inside our minds. When we are focusing on the bigger picture, when we are focusing on what is eternal, there is peace. When we have this ‘knowledge’ in the forefront of our minds, all that knowledge Paul was referring to in chapters 1 and 2. So that is how we “let the peace of Christ rule in [our] hearts.” It isn’t that it automatically rules, but we have to “let it.” It will automatically rule if we are acting in the right ways and thinking the right things. But it’s not some mystical state of peace that just settles into our minds and rests there. We have to let it come in. And come in it will, when we, as Paul told the Romans, in chapter 12, are not conformed to this world, but are transformed by the renewal of [our] mind” (12:2, ESV). Notice the word “transformed” and the word “renewal.” It’s something we have to do.

       The final part of verse 15: “And be thankful” (ESV).

       Putting ourselves in the context of the average Colossian’s mind, the whole new religion that has been presented to them, the whole experience of coming to know God, has undoubtedly brought a lot of thankfulness to them. To have come to know the real God must have just brought sheer joy to their hearts, and to be helped along in the all ways they were through Epaphras and the Apostle Paul. For us, as modern day Christians, we probably aren’t as aware of all the tremendous benefits that Christ has bestowed upon us, interestingly enough. Being in American society, where most of us are already wealthy to a certain degree, at least compared with most parts of the rest of the world, it can be easy to just understand our new relationship with God as having ‘spiritual benefits’ but not much else. Perhaps it has brought us a new church family, but perhaps we were already part of the church when we were saved. For the Colossians, there was no church family before. There weren’t those around with the common beliefs in Christ and the love that brings about for each other. There weren’t the benefits that come from being involved in that group. The average American has many, many churches to pick from, and no real commitment is even required a lot of times. Churches serve people from various different directions. Indeed, for us, it can be easy to take it the sum total of this for granted, and lose the real spirit of thankfulness that we are supposed to have as a church body. And Paul is going to come back to a way to practice this thankfulness in a minute.

       Verse 16: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom” (ESV).

       Speaking of the spiritual benefits we have received in Christ, we come roundabout back to Christ’s word, really, nowadays, the Word of God, and how we have that for our benefit. As we are aware, Paul talked a great deal about knowledge in chapters 1 and 2. For us now, in the twenty-first century church life, our knowledge of God and of Christ comes to us from the entirety of the Bible. The entirety of the Scriptures. The Colossian believers didn’t have that. The New Testament hadn’t been compiled yet. A lot of it hadn’t even been written by this point in time. But Paul says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” It seems almost as if they had some kind of copy of at least some of Christ’s Words—things he spoke about years earlier during his earthly ministry. We know Paul would refer to what Jesus said in his other letters. Now what they had, it’s hard to say. We have the four Gospels, but it doesn’t seem likely that they had any of these Gospels. At least Matthew had been written by this point. But they had something, otherwise Paul wouldn’t have told them to let these words so dwell within them. This also goes to show that Jesus’ words are relevant for the church, though, it doesn’t seem a lot of people don’t think that they aren’t. But’s it not that because Christ’s words were spoken to the Jewish Nation that they have no relevance for the church; they certainly do. They are important to us, to all those who are Gentiles in the body.

       The indwelling of the word of Christ in us, as believers, then is gained from good teaching and even admonishing in all wisdom, according to Paul. Let’s note first of all, that the usage of the word admonish appears to be more along the lines of to counsel or to earnestly advise one another, rather than the idea of rebuking one another. That’s important because it changes how we may see the verse. But teaching brings new things to light for us, as Christians, when we focus on the Words of Christ or any good words we find from the Bible. It also reminds us of those things we’ve already learned then in the past; it just depends on how long we’ve been a believer. But the Bible should be central to the focus of the teaching. It seems like that shouldn’t have to be said, but with all the modern-day innovations going on in church-going it’s probably a good idea to point that out just in case. Thus, we are taught and reminded of things, and then we are admonished, or counseled or advised to a specific degree in the Word, and this done with an earnestness. An importance focused on its significance to our lives. We are supposed to be using the Scriptures to model our own lives, and to make good, moral decisions. It’s not that we create our own way, but we try to do things God’s way. That’s what leads us to living successful lives, at least, in the eyes of God.

       The rest of verse 16: “singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (ESV).

       Now we move into the area of worship via music, and, of course, it is an area that we are pretty familiar with as the modern church, one we might even be experts at. It doesn’t even need to be stated that a great emphasis has been placed on music these days during the gathering together of believers. It’s a big area, and really in some churches may be considered even more important than the actual learning of knowledge itself, the actual sermon giving that takes place. Music, music, music. And people have strong preferences when it comes to music, as the American society itself has strong preferences when it comes to secular music. In the secular world, music often defines a person. “What kind of music do you listen to?” is a common question when it comes to trying to get to know someone new. It’s how people are sized up. There’s, again, no question that this area has translated itself to the church experience. Even the speaker has particular tastes as regards music, for the older hymns are definitely preferred. This has been problematic in church going because often it seems in order to attend a church that specifically focuses on hymns, in most cases, one is surrounded by those twice the age. It’s not very popular among the younger folks, so to prefer hymns makes one in this day and age peculiar. But too it’s all in how one sees church worship, and how it should be.

       Apparently a practice of the early believers was to sing psalms as actual songs during a get-together, a church service if you will. Besides hymns, Paul notes they were also to sing spiritual songs. This would be what is most prevalent in our churches nowadays, where we sing custom songs written by various brothers and sisters, typically over the last twenty or thirty years which are sung to custom tunes. So, instruments. The use of instruments in the church service. Interestingly, there is no mention one way or the other by Paul as regards actual physical instruments. It doesn’t appear it would be incorrect to go about it either way, then, though we need to be careful, and this is especially true in Evangelical church life, not to let the actual music become too glamorous, to over-emphasized to the point where it is indeed more important than the actual truth regarding what is being sung. It has also been noticed, and at more than one church, that some will hire outside sources to come in and actually do the music. That’s how important music has become, to the point where music has become competitive between churches. And, to take this one step further, it would be a shame if the people actually in front of the church weren’t true Christians who are doing the music, or were immoral people. Hopefully this doesn’t happen, but the mind fears that it does happen with those who are hired in. How could it not? But in this case hasn’t the whole meaning behind gathering together for church service, as a body of believers, been lost in the first place? Who cares what the other churches think. If the music isn’t the best on the planet, that’s fine; it’s the heart that matters.

       The final part of the verse “with thankfulness in your hearts to God” presents a particular debate about the use of the word “thankfulness.” That’s because the King James translators went with the word “grace.” So it says, “singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” That’s a bit different, and it appears to be a point in the text where it could be translated either way. So, in understanding the grace part of it versus the thankfulness part of it, we might say that songs should be sang with a bit of eloquence, or a spirit of goodwill. What is interesting concerning this, and one thing we can look at to get an idea of music, is actually to see what it is like in the throne room in Heaven. After all, when we are singing to God, we are lifting up our voices to Heaven, and those songs are being lifted up before his throne. In order to get this picture, let’s turn over to Revelation 4, and see what the Apostle John saw in Heaven. This seems to be an interesting set of verses into what we are talking about. Go to halfway through verse 6:

“And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures… [John goes on to describe the creatures, but let’s move down to the last half of verse 8] and day and night they never cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created” (Revelation 4:6, 8-11, ESV).

So we see an element of holiness, as well as formality, within the worship of God. It is a more serious tone, with an emphasis on honor. Now if we think of what we just read, and consider worship in most modern churches, what do we think? Is the worship lining up with the model provided to us here in the Book of Revelation? It seems a lot of times it does, but perhaps for some it does not. And if it doesn’t, then is that something that needs to be addressed? The speaker is aware he is walking on egg-shells here, but this is some food for thought. Please don’t send hate emails.

       Regardless, if we take the thankfulness approach to this verse, that is an interesting approach to our worship to God on Sunday mornings, and one that we may not have thought about too much. That, when we worship, that we are coming before God with a thankful heart, an attitude of thankfulness, thinking of all the ways God helped us through the week, on a small picture, and then on a big picture, all the ways God has been gracious to us in helping us with whatever it has been. This remembrance of help from God stirs in our hearts an attitude of worship toward him. It brings to mind the good things he has done for us, making things different from what they could have been, and even from the way that our enemy wanted them to be. So this adds a special layer to our worship to God, a special pair of eyeglasses, and makes it more aware, more precise in its direction, more intentional in its focus. A thankful heart to God. Recalling what God has done for us, and, of course, remembering his great gift for us, that of his Son Jesus Christ, who has made us whole before him so that we can freely approach him to begin with. So in that awareness we can have that continual fellowship with him that we have, that commonality which each of us shares.

       Verse 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” (ESV).

       In truth, the call behind this verse, which is the call for each and every Christian, is that of filtering everything we say and do through the Scriptures. The Colossians didn’t have what we have today, in the totality of the New Testament. We do, so we know what is expected of us, what the truth is, how we are supposed to act in our lives. The key word that Paul begins with is “whatever.” So, it is everything. He says, “whatever you do…” That’s absolute surrender, then. And that’s not what a lot of people want to see or hear. This is the call to the Christian life. It means that in everything we say and do, we do it to the glory of God. There is nothing that we want to be speaking or doing in our lives that we feel God would not be happy about. Whether we are hanging out with a certain person, watching a certain movie, putting a certain substance into our body, doing this work or that work, whatever it is, it means we ask ourselves whether we feel God would approve of this. If the answer is no, then it is not something we want to have in our lives. The answer is really simple. Of course, this will likely be something that changes over time because when we first become saved, we might not be that strict. Or, on the other hand, we might become too strict. It can go to either extreme. But hopefully, eventually, we find that balance. It is as Paul said to the Ephesians, “Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:8-10, ESV).

       It seems that “giving thanks” as Paul mentions is a good accountability test for us. What is meant is that when saying or doing something, or after speaking it or doing it, is it something that we can then thank God for? If so, then that ‘thing’ we are speaking or doing is good. If it’s not, then something is wrong. If we can’t thank God for a specific relationship in our lives, in spending time talking with that person, then something isn’t right. If we can’t thank God after watching that certain movie for providing the movie to us to watch, then something is wrong. If we can’t thank God after using that particular substance, then we better think again. It truly is this simple. Just try to give God thanks for everything as your day goes by and you will learn quickly what is good and what is not. You will learn where perhaps a specific thing, or practice, can be eliminated. We’re not striving for legalism, as Paul clearly combated that issue in the last chapter, toward the end of Colossians 2. Yet, it really is that simple in that if something is whole, we will be able to thank God for it. So, in what we say with our mouths to ourselves or to others, in what we do with our bodies, where we go with our feet, let’s keep watch to to see if they actually are good things, things which we can be thankful for.

- Daniel Litton