How Do You Get the Peace of Christ?
Intro:
1. ILL: Worrying & fretting about Joel’s wedding.
2. Then - God’s word spoke out loud & clear to us, And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. - Phil 4:7.
3. This special peace is something that the Lord gives you. He said, Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
- Jn 14:27.
4. v15 - God’s peace is supposed to govern your whole life!
5. So - how do you get the peace of Christ?
Colossians 3:12-17
I. v12a & 15 - By Becoming God’s Chosen Person
A. v12a - How do you become God’s chosen person?
1. Understand the gospel. The Lord died on the cross making your salvation possible.
2. The gospel message was presented to you which gave you a choice. Make the right choice.
3. God wants everybody, but He chooses only those who choose Him!
4. So - you become a chosen person when you accept Jesus as Lord & commit your life to Him. It’s like the commitment of marriage!
B. Notice how God feels about you - His chosen person. You are:
1. Chosen (ἐκλεκτός) = a favorite, selected from a group of items, “elect”.
a. ILL: Linda carefully inspecting fruit & produce at the store.
b. Chosen to be adopted (Eph 1:5).
c. Chosen to do good works (Eph 2:10).
d. Chosen to be conformed to His likeness (Rom 8:29).
2. Holy (ἅγιος) = set apart - God sets you apart from the world.
3. Dearly loved (ἀγαπάω) = the love that gives because the need is there. God loves you very much!
C. v15 - God chooses you by calling you from the world into the church.
1. The church is a called out people! That’s what the word means!
2. This body He calls you into has only one purpose - to represent Lord Jesus to a lost & dying world.
II. v12b-14 - By Developing the Lord’s Character
A. This list of virtues sounds a lot like the Fruit of the Spirit - the Lord’s character. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
- Gal 5:22-23.
B. This list here adds to the fruit:
1. v12 - Compassion (σπλάγχνον) = the inward parts (heart, liver, lungs, etc.), fig. the emotions. To be so passionate that you are affected physically.
2. v12 - Humility (ταπεινοφροσύνη) = goodness, excellence, uprightness.
3. v13 - Bear with each other (ἀνέχομαι) = endure, bear with, hear or listen to willingly.
4. v13 - Forgiveness (χαρίζομαι) = to grant a favor, give freely.
5. v15 & 17 - Thankfulness (εὐχαριστέω) = be grateful. One of the terms for the Communion Service is “Eucharist” which comes from this word.
C. You begin to develop these fruit when you come to know the Lord as His Spirit indwells you. You begin becoming more & more Christ-like!
III. V16 - By Allowing the Word of Christ to Dwell in You Richly
A. Step 1: Allow yourself to be discipled. Matt 28:19-20 - Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
B. Step 2: Hear, read & meditate on the word.
1. Ps 119:11 - I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
2. Ps 119:16 - I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.
3. Ps 119:67 - Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word.
C. v16 - Step 3: Then - you teach it! You have to understand it first.
D. v16 - Step 4: Then - you admonish it (νουθετέω) = gently correct & persuade. It must convict you before you can admonish.
E. v16 - Step 5: Then you sing it in praise back to the Lord! That’s how the word travels full circle.
IV. v17 - By Representing the Lord Accurately in Your Life
A. The Apostle Paul considered himself to be an ambassador of Christ’s. Eph 6:20 - for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
B. He, then, includes each of us as ambassadors. II Cor 5:20 - We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.
C. Well then, what does an ambassador do?
1. A national ambassador represents his country government in a foreign country, right?
2. A Christian ambassador represent the Lord Jesus. You represent the Lord best when you exhibit His peace!
How do you get the peace of Christ? You need to, first, become His chosen person - then develop His character in your life - then let the word infiltrate your life - & then represent Him as His ambassador. Then you’ll know what the peace of Christ is all about!
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