Focal Passage: Colossians 3:1-5, 12-17
The Apostle Paul was put in prison for preaching the Gospel. While there he wrote letters to encourage the faithful; one of those four ‘prison epistles’ is the New Testament book of Colosssians.
This letter was written to exhort believers in the town of Colossee not to be taken in by a current heresy that belittled the Lord Jesus Christ; it claimed that Christ was less than God of very God. Paul fought against that teaching by focusing on the preeminence of Christ. In chapter 3 he deals with the preeminence of Christ in the believer’s daily life.
A recent book by Dr. Gregg Beale intrigues me, if for no other reason than its title: We Become What We Worship. Those words could be the backdrop for today’s lesson. We’re in a series of lessons called The Heart of Worship, and this week’s topic is The LIFESTYLE of Worship. Since we truly do “become what we worship,” it’s vital that we experience worship as a lifestyle, not just something we go to on Sundays.
Mike Dawson
In the focal text, Colossians 3: 1-5 and 12-17, Paul presents Christ as being worthy of our worship on a daily (lifestyle) basis. These ten verses could be divided into five action words, five verbs, that are the spiritual m.d.r.’s (minimum daily requirements) for all believers. If we’re to have a daily lifestyle of worshiping the Lord Jesus Christ, we WILL:
“Elevate,” verses 1-2.
One of the first lessons for seeing-eye dogs is getting “the higher view.” They must learn to see things from the level of the human they’re guiding. The blind man or woman they lead could bump into a low-hanging limb or open cabinet door — things a dog would not normally see. To be effective, the dog must see what is above its normal view. We, too, in living the Christian life, must get the higher view; we must set our minds on what is above, not what is on the earth. On a daily basis, you and I must get above “see-level,” and view life from our risen, reigning Lord’s level; Paul challenges us to elevate our vision.
“Anticipate,” verses 3-4.
Not only looking upward but also looking forward will enhance our daily worship. We have died with Christ, and now our life is hidden with Him — we arose with Him — and one day soon we’ll reign with Him in glory; hallelujah, what a future!
“Eliminate,” verse 5
This verse (and the next five not in our text) tell us what to do with ten WORLDLY items from our lifestyles before we received Christ: put to death … put away … put off. In other words “QUIT! REPENT! GET RID OF!”
“Accumulate”, verses 12-14.
Paul now exhorts us to ‘change clothes;’ notice the list of things he says believers should put on: as I count them, once again there are ten, this time GODLY items in our “new wardrobe.”
“Appreciate,” verses 15-17
Paul’s final instructions are summed up in two words: Be thankful. Notice: the message, teaching, admonishing, singing — sounds like an “order of worship”, doesn’t it! — whatever you do, do it with gratitude. The lifestyle of worship? Do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, GIVING THANKS to God the Father through Him! B&R — Dawson is pastor emeritus at First Baptist Church, Columbia, and has served as transitional interim pastor since his retirement from full-time ministry.
