Be Thankful | Colossians 3:15

Scripture

• Colossians 3:15

About this sermon

Introduction: From time to time its good for us to think about commands from God that we might be neglecting. The commands that are not the first ones on our minds when someone mentions the commands of God. Commands that we forget. Commands that we don’t treat like commands. This time of cultural celebration (Thanksgiving) brings one of those commands to mind. WE ARE COMMANDED TO BE THANKFUL. Being thankful is an obligation. A God-given assignment. A responsibility. Do you think of it that way? Do you consider it an obligation? Do you feel that God requires you to be thankful? Do you think of it as a matter of spiritual obedience? All of God’s commands should arrest our attention. God’s commands are to be binding upon our consciences. That includes the command to be thankful. God doesn’t command things that aren’t important. God doesn’t insist on things that don’t matter. Is it really important to live a thankful life? Does it really make a spiritual difference? What blessings are wrapped up in being a thankful person? What dangers threaten the life of someone who isn’t thankful? This imperative statement consists of just three words. Its simplicity makes it amazing. “And be thankful.” Today we think about that command. • THE CONTEXT FOR THE COMMAND (vs.1-17) We begin with the context for the command. The context teaches us what kind of person can obey the command. What precedes the command and what follows the command, points to the fact that a thankful heart belongs to a saved individual who is pursuing sanctification. • THE CAPACITY FOR THANKFULNESS What is called for is supernatural. Not just anyone can obey this command to be thankful. There is a kind of thankfulness that lost humanity is capable of. Lost humanity will speak in terms of being lucky or being blessed—but it’s a concept of blessing that gives ultimate credit to people, or circumstances — some generic higher power. Lost men think in terms of fate or karma or luck or “breaks.” What is called for, in this command, is entirely different, and the context makes that unmistakable. 9 NEW THINGS PRESENT IN THE LIFE OF SOMEONE WHO HAS THE CAPACITY TO LIVE THE THANKFUL LIFE. • A NEW LIFE (3:1a) – “raised with Christ” • A NEW AMBITION (3:1b) – “seek the things that are above” • A NEW FOCUS (3:2) – “set your minds on things that are above” • A NEW POSITION OR IDENTITY (3:3) – “you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God” • A NEW HOPE (3:4) • A NEW MORTIFICATION (3:5-9) • A NEW SELF (3:10-11) • A NEW DRESS (3:12-14) • A NEW STANDARD (3:15-17) • God’s Peace (vs.15) • God’s Word (vs.16) • God’s Son (vs.17) AND ALL OF THESE COMMANDS AND INSTRUCTIONS ARE GIVEN IN A WAY THAT ADDRESSES A COMMUNITY. • A NEW COMMUNITY – “plurals” — The thankful life is lived by people who belong to the church and are “traveling” with the church. Three times in three verses we told be thankful (vs.15-17). • THE CHARACTER OF THANKFULNESS So, it is the new life that is a thankful life. The thankful life is the fruit of the new life. It is the fruit of salvation. It is the fruit of obedience to all the standards that belong to that new life. Christ makes thankful people. Salvation makes thankful people, as those saved people pursue sanctification. Or, to put it more personally we can say that salvation makes thankful people as those saved people are faithfully pursing Christ. PERSONAL CHECK: If you are not thankful ask yourself two questions. Do I really have a new life in Jesus Christ? Am I really pursuing Christ according to the standards of this new life? IF SO, THEN THESE VERSES DESCRIBE WHAT THIS THANKFUL LIFE WILL CONSIST OF. • THE THANKFUL LIFE IS AN OBEDIENT LIFE (WE MUST BE THANKFUL – VS.15) • THE THANKFUL LIFE IS THE SCRIPTURE SATURATED LIFE (VS.16) • THE THANKFUL LIFE IS THE SAVIOR FOCUSED LIFE (VS.17) • THE IMPORTANCE OF THE COMMAND Why a command to be thankful? I mean, human wisdom would question whether this can even BE a matter for command. “How do you command someone’s gratitude?” Well, God never commands something that is unimportant. A good way to consider that question is to think about what is potential if a person isn’t thankful. What is at stake in the matter of living a thankful life? THERE ARE TWO GREAT ISSUES AT HAND. • WITHOUT THANKFUL HEARTS WE CAN BE GUILTY OF GREAT SINS Those sins are committed against God, and those sins are committed against people. What are some of these sins? Well, consider what kind of heart a thankful heart is, and then think about the sins that exist where that kind of thankfulness is absent. • THANKFUL HEARTS ARE HUMBLE HEARTS (PRIDE) A thankful heart realizes the reality of grace. A proud heart thinks it deserves every benefit, and therefore, is never really thankful for those benefits.

Topics

• Thanksgiving