Yesterday, I brought the 5th message in our series on worship from Colossians 3. If you were out yesterday and/or want to listen to the sermon, you can click on this link:
In that message, I shared three points surrounding this central thought: “worship occurs when believers live with a Godward focus” (see Col 3.1-2). Time did not permit me to make the connections between the message and the notion of worship; remember, worship is “the right response of man to the revelation of God”. Below are seven implications for worship that I draw from Colossians 3.1-17. (I start with two negative implications – for emphasis – then identify five positive implications.)
1. What is not Godward in your life is idolatry (1-4). IAW NT, here is state of life of every genuine believer:
Jn 17.3: this is eternal life, that you know the only true God & Jesus Christ whom God has sent
In Col 3.3 we read: you have died and your life is hidden w/Christ
From Gal 2.20: you been crucified w/Christ. It is no longer you who live, but Christ who lives in you
Our lives turn into worship when we reach the place of Phil 1.21: for you, to live is Christ and to die is gain (Phil 1.21)
If that is who you are – and that’s what the Bible says every believer is – then what is not Godward is idolatry
2. When there is sin in your life, that is idolatry (5-11) Standing with Jesus (Matt 5.27-30), Paul gives strong exhortation for us to kill our sin.
When you sin, you are treasuring your pleasure more than you are treasuring Jesus – that is idolatry.
Let’s switch gears to a more positive frame work (12-17):
3. When you love one another, that is worship (14)
4. When peace of Christ governs how you respond to people who seek to disturb your peace, that is worship (15)
5. When gratitude to God undergirds & influences all that you are and all that you do, that is worship (15, 16, 17)
6. When you live under authority of God’s word and do so w/“thankfulness in heart to God”, that is worship (16-17)
7. When you sign your days “in the name of Jesus”, that is worship (17)
I mentioned on Sunday, though we will not perfect or finish this “pursuit” until we get to heaven, versus 12-17 remind us that worship takes place when believers are “in constant, glad, pursuit of the nature of Jesus”. Let that be one more thing to encourage us and equip us as we partner together to “pursue the nature of Jesus” and pray for one another.
As always, I welcome your feedback and any questions you might have. Pursuing with you and praying for you,
Pastor Gary