Colossians 3:12-14 (NASB)

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.

The Big Idea: As Believers who have been chosen and specially loved by God, Christians must choose daily to put on the new spiritual attitudes and actions He has provided as individuals, and collectively as a church body.

Outline: Three concepts you must own in order to live like true Christians – both personally as individuals, and collectively as a church body.

I. Our common cause – motivation (3:12a)

II. Our Christ-like clothes – Exhortation (3:12b; 14)

III.  Our Christ-centered Actions – Application (3:13)

1. Compassion – A deep, abiding concern for the misfortune of others.
2. Kindness – A friendly and helpful spirit that also seeks to meet the needs of others
3. Humility – To think or to judge of yourself with lowliness
4. Patience – Endurance, long suffering, forbearance, perseverance, slowness in avenging wrong.

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Colossians 3:12-14 (NASB)

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.

The Big Idea:

As Believers who have been chosen and specially loved by God, Christians must choose daily to put on the new spiritual attitudes and actions He has provided as individuals, and collectively as a church body.

Outline:

Three concepts you must own in order to live like true Christians – both personally as individuals, and collectively as a church body.

I. Our common cause – motivation (3:12a)

II. Our Christ-like clothes – Exhortation (3:12b; 14)

1. Compassion – A deep, abiding concern for the misfortune of others.
2. Kindness – A friendly and helpful spirit that also seeks to meet the needs of others
3. Humility – To think or to judge of yourself with lowliness
4. Patience – Endurance, long suffering, forbearance, perseverance, slowness in avenging wrong.

The third concept will be covered next week in part 2 of this sermon.

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Colossians 3:8-11 (NASB)

⁸ But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. ⁹ Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, ¹⁰ and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him— ¹¹ a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.

The Big Idea:
God commands Christians to put off both the sinful hatred in our hearts and the harmful speech of our mouths, since we are new creations in Christ.

Outline: 3 aids to help you to get rid of your sins of unrighteous anger and hurtful words.

1. Realize the direct command of God to be putting off these serious sins (3:8-9a).
2. Recall the monumental change that happened when you believed in Christ at your salvation (3:9b-11).
3. Respond by applying these further directives to rid yourself of these sins (Selected Scriptures).

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Colossians 3:8-10 (NASB)

⁸ But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. ⁹ Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, ¹⁰ and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him,

The Big Idea: God commands Christians to put off both the sinful hatred in our heart and the harmful speech of our mouths, since we are new creations in Christ.

Outline: Three aids to help you to get rid of your sins of unrighteous anger and hurtful words.

1. Realize the direct command of God to be putting off these serious sins (3:8‑9a).

Aids number 2 and 3 will be covered in part 2 next week.

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Colossians 3:5-7 (NASB)

⁵ Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. ⁶ For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, ⁷ and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them.

The Big Idea: God commands Christians to put our sins to death and has blessed us with Gospel reasons, power and knowledge to do so.

Outline: Three keys to help you kill the sins of sexual immorality and greed in your life.

1. Know the seriousness of these sins and how you must view the as a Christian. (3:5‑6)

2. Remember that these sins characterized the old wicked life that you were saved from by Christ. (3:6‑7)

3. Apply the following nuts and bolts of putting these sins to death. (Selected Scriptures)

• Set your Mind on Jesus (Col 3:1-4)
• Abstain from fleshly lusts (1 Pet 2:11)
• Make no provision for the flesh (Rom 13:14
• Be filled with the Holy Spirit (Eph 5:18)
• Meditate on God’s Word (Ps 119:11)
• Pray continuously (1 Thes 5:17)
• Cultivate contentment in Christ (Philip 4:13)
• Get an accountability partner

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Colossians 3:1-4 (NASB)

¹ Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. ³ For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

Theme: We must keep our focus on eternal and spiritual things – centered on Christ – in order to become all that He has called us to be, in light of the new life we have in Him.

• Our Responsibility – (3:2)
• Our Reason/Reminder – (3:3)
• Our Revelation – (3:4)

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Colossians 3:1-4 (NASB)

¹ Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. ³ For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

This sermon covers verse 1. Next week, part 2 will cover verses 2-4.

Theme: We must keep our focus on eternal and spiritual things, centered on Christ, in order to become all that He has called us to be, in light of the new life we have in Him.

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14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John testified about Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.” 16 For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. 17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.

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Colossians 2:20-23 (NASB)

²⁰ If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, ²¹ “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” ²² (which all refer to things destined to perish with use)—in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? ²³ These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.

The Big Idea: We must not add any type of works, worship, or ways to what the Lord Jesus Christ has already accomplished on the Cross for our eternal salvation.

Outline:
Last Sunday – Two wrong ways to salvation that you must reject, and the One right way that you must embrace for salvation.

1) Wrong Way #1 – Ritualistic religious works (2:16-17)
2) Wrong Way #2 – Seemingly spiritual worship (2:18)
3) The Only Way – Clinging to Christ alone (2:19)

Today – A third wrong way to salvation that you must reject, and the death that leads to true life.

1) Wrong Way #3 – Self-defeating, self-depriving ways (2:20-23)

2) The Way of Life – Dying with Christ to the world (2:20a)

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Colossians 2:16-19 (NASB)

¹⁶ Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day— ¹⁷ things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ. ¹⁸ Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, ¹⁹ and not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God.

The Big Idea: We must not add any type of works or worship to what the Lord Jesus Christ has already accomplished on the Cross for our eternal salvation.

Outline: Two wrong ways to salvation that you must reject, and the One right way that you must embrace for salvation.

Wrong Way #1 – Ritualistic religious works (2:16-17)
Wrong Way #2 – Seemingly Spiritual worship (2:18)

The Only Way – Clinging to Christ alone (2: 19)

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