[The following is a manuscript of my brief devotion delivered on Sunday morning, the 30th of April, 2017. This was our Fifth Sunday service, with The Directors Trio bringing their ministry of music. Look for the video on our Vimeo channel: http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]
Before we bring our music group back up, I’d like to read just a short passage from the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Colossians. In this letter, Paul is laying down the very foundations for living a Christian life. He is telling us what we should do, and not do.
He has told us that in Christ, by our acceptance of Jesus as our Lord, we become a new creation. And now he is describing the very character, the essence, of that new person we have become. Listen and follow along to Paul’s words, to us and to the church in Colosse, from his letter to the Colossians, chapter 3, verses 12 through 17…
He has told us that in Christ, by our acceptance of Jesus as our Lord, we become a new creation. And now he is describing the very character, the essence, of that new person we have become. Listen and follow along to Paul’s words, to us and to the church in Colosse, from his letter to the Colossians, chapter 3, verses 12 through 17…
12 God loves you and has chosen you as His own special people. So be gentle, kind, humble, meek, and patient. 13 Put up with each other, and forgive anyone who does you wrong, just as Christ has forgiven you. 14 Love is more important than anything else. It is what ties everything completely together.
15 Each one of you is part of the body of Christ, and you were chosen to live together in peace. So let the peace that comes from Christ control your thoughts. And be grateful. 16 Let the message about Christ completely fill your lives, while you use all your wisdom to teach and instruct each other. With thankful hearts, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. 17 Whatever you say or do should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, as you give thanks to God the Father because of Him.
--Colossians 3:12-17 (CEV)
Isn’t that a beautiful passage? God loves us and has chosen us as His own special people! And since we are now God’s special people, we should act like it. Since God loves us and gives us so much, we should do our part in return, and especially how we treat each other. We should be gentle and kind, humble and meek, and patient in our dealings with one another. We should be willing to love and forgive one another, just as Christ Jesus loves and forgives us.
After all, we are each, as believers, a part of the body of Christ left on earth to carry out His mission. And He chose us to all live together in peace, the peace that comes when we allow Jesus to control our every thought and emotion. Paul wants us to let the Good News of Jesus completely fill every aspect of our life so we can use it to teach and instruct others.
And then comes the part so pertinent for us this morning. With thankful hearts, let us sing praises to God. Let us sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. All in the name of Jesus, in thanks to God our Father because of Him.
Amen.
After all, we are each, as believers, a part of the body of Christ left on earth to carry out His mission. And He chose us to all live together in peace, the peace that comes when we allow Jesus to control our every thought and emotion. Paul wants us to let the Good News of Jesus completely fill every aspect of our life so we can use it to teach and instruct others.
And then comes the part so pertinent for us this morning. With thankful hearts, let us sing praises to God. Let us sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. All in the name of Jesus, in thanks to God our Father because of Him.
Amen.
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