Christ, Who Is Our Life (Colossians 3:4)

Introduction

We’re going to begin this morning with a couple of questions that I want you to provide the answers for. Question number one. How do we function effectively as a church? Now, of course, the answer to that question needs to match God’s assessment of what it means to function effectively as a church. And really, it’s only his assessment that matters. We’re not trying to do church in a way that pleases the world or satisfies us. But when we talk about the effective functioning of the church, it’s really only effective if it matches God’s will for us and reflects his approval. Now that’s the kind of church we should want to be and strive to be. Question number two. How do we successfully, and again, this is by God’s accounting, live as a disciple of Jesus?

That is a follower of the living Lord. How can we be a successful follower of Jesus in such increasingly and increasing exponentially, perhaps in our times, but it’s increasing nonetheless if it’s not exponential. Increasingly wicked times in which we find ourselves living in. How do we function effectively as a church? How do we successfully live as a disciple of Jesus in increasingly wicked times? Now, there’s a lot of answers. And you could be mulling over several good answers, plausible answers in your mind. But I’m going to give you the same answer to both questions. Which is really my sermon theme and title. Though I didn’t want to give it to you. By way of early announcement. The answer to both of those questions can be summarized in these three words.

Jesus is Lord.

If Jesus is Lord, we will function effectively as his church. If we acknowledge his lordship is the idea.

1. He Is Head of the Body, the Church

Evidence of that in Colossians 1 momentarily. We will live successfully as Jesus’ disciple if he is indeed the Lord of our lives. So there’s your answer. Here’s your passage. Colossians chapter 1 and verse 18. He is also. So there’s some other things he’s been saying about Jesus, but I want you to read this. He is also head of the body, the church. We’re going to function effectively as his church when he is allowed to be the head, the ruler, the authority. And he is the beginning. The firstborn from the dead. So then underscore this. This is great, folks. And I recently, in our study of Colossians in my home, these verses just blew me away. I’m so impressed by what they’re saying. This is awesome. So that he himself, and this is really the theme of Colossians, so that he himself might come to have first place in everything.

Now he is in first place. He is Lord of Lords and King of Kings. But we need to make him first place in what we do corporately as his people, the way we work, the way we worship, and he must be first in our lives. He must come to have his rightful place. First place. That’s right. In everything. The verse previous has suggested that everything has been created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things whole together. That’s dramatic stuff. He will say in verse 27 that is not in this list of verses. Christ in you, the hope of glory. Thus the answer I’ve given to the questions. But read on. Jesus. It was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in him.

And through him to reconcile all things to himself, having made peace through the blood of his cross. Through him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven, whatever realm you want to talk about. And although you were formerly. Okay, this is where believers, this is where we come in. This is where we were. And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, you may well be this morning in this audience someone who is presently alienated and hostile in mind. Believers were formerly that engaged in evil deeds. Yet he has now reconciled you, believers, in his fleshly body through death. We’re so undeserving of that. In order to present you before him, holy and blameless. Wait, we were hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, but he had a plan to present us before the Father, holy and blameless, and beyond reproach.

Wow. But there’s a condition. Mark it under underscored in your Bible, verse 23. Look at the word if.

Indeed, you continue in the faith, firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel. That is the Waterloo of so many. Who become unmoved, who forfeit steadfastness, and who move in the wrong direction away from the hope of the gospel. The gospel that you heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have been made a minister. That is so profound. It is probably worthy to be talked about every week in our assemblies. It is that profound. But what’s around it is helpful too. Earlier, he has already said in verse 13, you know, we were hostile and alien in our minds, but we have been delivered from the domain of darkness, and we’ve been translated into the kingdom of God’s dear son.

2. Walk in a Manner Worthy of Him

The previous verse. Because of that, we have been qualified to share in the inheritance. We’re rich folks. We’ve got the best inheritance that there is or ever will be. That’s right. Qualified to share in the inheritance in the saints and light. And because of all of that, because Jesus is Lord, because we make him Lord of our lives, then we ought to walk in a manner worthy of him. And to please him in all respects, Colossians 1 10 is always stood out to me. It is our marching orders as God’s people. Walk in a manner worthy of him. But I shouldn’t start there. You need to take all the things that he’s saying in the whole epistle, then come back to that and say, Oh, yeah, that makes sense now.

Yeah, I should walk in a manner pleasing and worthy of him. To please him in all respects. And then, oh, you’ve heard this right? That’s also in Colossians. He is our very life. Paul says in chapter 3, in the previous verses of that, he says, keep seeking the things above. Keep doing it. Keep at it. No matter how hard. And we’ll talk more about that tonight. No matter the anguish that comes your way. Because he is worthy. Because he is Lord. And every blessing comes from making him Lord of your life.

3. What Attendance Reveals About Who Is Lord

Probably seeing the invitation right now. But I have a couple more thoughts I want to share. Let’s move on from these thoughts. Keep from there. And then ask this question. -oh. He’s gone to know. What might your attendance at assemblies reveal regarding who or what is really Lord in your life? Now again, my assessment of that is not as critical as the Lord’s assessment of that. That’s right.

If you don’t like it’s Daniel’s fault. I always love to pass the life. Actually, he did this at my request. Let’s talk about attendance percentages. Remember in class I said I’m a statistics guy. What do you think the average of all of our members? 151, I believe. 151 baptized believers who are identified as members of the Decker Prairie Church, in case you didn’t know that number. Not 149, not 155. Always in a state of flux around here. 151 people on the books. What’s our average attendance? Holder to the all the assemblies in 2017. Pick a number. 67%. Two out of every three. What’s your preacher’s number? I get accused of being gone all the time. My number. Which is about to be affected next week.

My number is 87%. I just wrote my arm.

And of some of the people who are always giving me grief about how much I’m gone, who will remain nameless? This person’s percentage is less than mine. And the person sitting next to this person, who doesn’t complain as much about how much I’m gone, actually has a percentage higher than me, and that’s a good thing because he’s the sound man. But he will remain aimless.

Eighty-seven percent. Guess how many people are in the nineties of our 90s?

About a dozen. Two of our elders. If your last name is Pennington, you have a good shot. And I don’t know where he is, but I think he’s in the foyer. John? Are you serious? John Brumfield? Is in the list. I looked at everybody’s number. That’s possible through our website and the guys that take attendance. I don’t even see him taking attendance, but they do. I saw everybody’s number.

And I know there’s a lot of factors to that. I know some of you. Five major factors. Let me just throw those out there. Because the purpose of this lesson is not to heat guilt on anybody. There are physical issues, aging. You think Hattie Cole would be at every service if she could? No, I’m not supposed to mention her name. Scratch that. Jobs. To what extent that should interfere? That’s another question. Travel. Distance of the building. Five major factors that affect attendance. And yes. Some absences do not signal negligence. I mean, especially if you’re traveling, and the eight weeks that I’m gone, five of those weeks, I am preaching. I’m actually assembling with the Lord people extra times, even. But you know, you’re not going to have a great big attendance number here if you’re going to Disney World every other week.

It’s just not going to happen. But you still might be worshiping with the Lord’s people. Isn’t that right, Harkwright?

So I want to say this. Perfect attendance merits nothing.

I figured out that I, on an average year, probably attend a hundred and seventy-five assemblies in 365 days. But even if I attended 365 assemblies every year, I could not merit or earn what the Lord has done for me. And I have done that, which I ought to have done. I am and you are, no matter your percentage, completely dependent upon the Lord for salvation. But I do want to say this. Regardless of your reasons, if you are negligent, I can’t be the spiritual police. The elders can’t be the spiritual police. Sometimes they get alarmed when they see certain attendance patterns or a lack thereof, and they’ll reach out to people because they’re concerned about their souls and their spiritual well-being. And kudos to them for being shepherds.

And well they should. But look, when it comes to negligence, ultimately you know, and the Lord knows. Whether you could do better. And negligence, if indeed it is, your pattern, your behavior, your practice. If it is negligent, it is because of your lack of devotion to God. And that’s what concerns me. For you. For me. If I am negligent. Why do we lack devotion to God? Because negligence, by the Lord’s accounting, not the spiritual police, negligence reveals the world is your life’s priority.

Not the Lord. Luke 8, verse 14.

I think this verse is frightening for believers in our time. And the seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way, they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life. And bring no fruit for maturity. Or bring no fruit to maturity. Worries, riches, and pleasures. Those can so interfere with a worthy response unto our king. I’d like to say, we’re all that next verse. The good and honest heart that yields thirtyfold, sixtyfold, a hundredfold, whatever our ability is. We’re the good and honest heart who embraces and clings to the word and holds it fast and brings forth fruit with perseverance. But the fact is, I’m a little concerned that we might sometimes be a worldly church.

4. Christ, Who Is Our Life

Because that’s where our true affections are. Is Jesus really the Lord? And finally, our tender pattern shows something. Especially if we’re negligent, it shows too little value we’re placing on being and functioning as a member of the Bible. Think about. Think about these things. So Jesus is the Lord. Jesus is the Lord. Christ who is our life. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, we also will be revealed with him in glory. Paul says in Colossians chapter 3 and verse 4. Underscore that in your Bibles, young people. Christ who is our life. He is Lord. Whether you acknowledge it or not, whether we acknowledge it by the way we behave as a church or what we do as individuals, Jesus is the Lord. Christ who is our life.

Paul says. And that means we are completely indebted to him for spiritual life. We live only because of him. He is the rock upon which our lives are built. And he provides a great hope, which is a rock for us. And young people, it trumps significantly.

Don’t ever forget that. It trumps every relationship, every activity, everything that tries to abide for our affections. This is first place. And it’s infinitely better. There’s not a relationship, there’s not an activity, there’s not a thing that is more valuable and important and significant than Christ, who is our life. And he should be deserving. Prioritized. Above all else.

Conclusion

Interesting passage as I wrap this up this morning. When the ark of God was placed inside a tent, David assigned Asaph and his relatives to give thanks to the Lord. I don’t know that I’ve looked at this text very much. But since it has such a heavy emphasis on the Lord, I wanted to share it with you. Sing to the Lord. This is what we’ve done today and we’ll do tonight. Sing to the Lord all the earth. Proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among the peoples. For great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise. He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.

Colossians 1. Splendor and majesty are before him. Strength and joy are his dwelling place. Ascribe to the Lord, O families of peoples. Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory to his name. Bring an offering. That’s what we’re doing today. And come before him. Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness. Tremble before him all the earth. The world is firmly established. It cannot be moved. The world is firm and established because of the Lord, but you need to tremble. Let the heavens rejoice. Let the earth be glad. Let them say among the nations.

It’s okay if we do something different. It’s okay if we feel something.

Of the whole thing.

Why do you call me Lord? And do not do the things that I say. Let us do his things. Let us do them with passion and fervor and an undaunted commitment, come what may.

He who believes and is baptized shall be saved. Is there someone in our audience this morning who needs to allow Christ to have first place in your heart and life? Let’s stand and say.