"When Grace Defines Our Living"   2014

Deuteronomy 8:11-18       Colossians 3:12-17

Deuteronomy 8:11-18

Take care that you do not forget the Lord your God, by failing to keep his commandments, his ordinances, and his statutes, which I am commanding you today. When you have eaten your fill and have built fine houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks have multiplied, and your silver and gold is multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied, then do not exalt yourself, forgetting the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, an arid wasteland with poisonous snakes and scorpions. He made water flow for you from flint rock, and fed you in the wilderness with manna that your ancestors did not know, to humble you and to test you, and in the end to do you good. Do not say to yourself, “My power and the might of my own hand have gotten me this wealth.” But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, so that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your ancestors, as he is doing today.

 

Colossians 3:12-17

As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

 

My Aunty Dot was a remarkably committed Christian woman,

            who was a tremendous influence and blessing in my life.

                               She always seemed to see a biblical connection

                                       and have an appropriate Bible reference or phrase

                                                for every situation and conversation in life.

 

Now it wasn’t that she was trying to impress anybody,

            or pushing to impose her biblical understanding on anyone,

                        but it was just how she saw and interpreted the world.

            For her, everything in life, everything about life

                        was always related to her relationship with God,

                                         and a biblical perspective  was the lens

                                           through which she perceived everything.

 

            She wouldn’t have dreamed of making a decision in life

                        without pausing to consider her walk with God,

                                    her faith,  and what Scripture had to say about it.

 

The word of God was so infused into her life and worldview,

            that she saw herself primarily as a child of God,

                        as one defined by the love, grace and promises of God… à

 

                        … or as described in Colossians 3:12,

                                    as one of  God’s chosen ones,  holy and beloved.”        

 

Those three words, “chosen”, “holy”, and “beloved”

            help define,  characterize  and describe  who each of us are,

                   as the children of God, as those who follow Jesus Christ.

 

*chosen,     meaning that the gracious love of God

                                    proceeded any righteousness on our part,

            that we didn’t chose Him, but the Lord God chose each of us.

 

*holy,           meaning that we have been and are

                                    set apart according to God’s redeeming purpose,

               and called out from this world’s corruption and darkness     

                   to live lives that reflect God’s light and compassion.

 

*beloved,    meaning that regardless

                                         of our past or present problems and failures,

                                            our God never gives up on us or stops loving us.

     There is always another second chance to receive grace afresh

          and to participate in the abundant life God intends for us.

 

     Because of this grace and mercy that God offers to all,

            for those who respond and receive,  it changes everything,à

 

            about who we really are, and how we live out our lives,

                        our goals and values,  our attitudes and perceptions,

                                    and how we relate to this world and to other people.

 

When the letter of Colossians was written,

            it was to relatively recent and inexperienced converts,

                        who were struggling with challenging issues that were

                                   bringing strife and divisiveness into the church.

 

The city of Colossae was along a major trade route in Asia Minor,

            and was a mix of every nationality, race and culture,

                 with lots of religious diversity from many backgrounds,

                                    which was reflected in that mixed congregation.

 

At first it was wonderful that their faith in Jesus Christ

     brought them all together unified by the gracious love of God,

            but with time, old animosities & cultural jealousies arose…

 

  … and this passage was written as a corrective and reminder,

                 that the power of God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ

                        is what makes us a Christian,  not winning an argument.

 

According to Colossians 3:12b & 14,

            clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.

            Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

                                               

As the chosen, holy, and beloved people of God,

            those verses describe how we are called to relate to others,

                                          and what it means and looks like

                                                to be a community of the faithful,

       a community of those grateful for the gift of God’s love,

              and for the gift of grace through Christ   that we all share.

 

But our new life in Christ  

            is not always easy to live out faithfully.

    Sometimes we continue to fall back or wallow in our old ways,

            because we have what you might call, “a zombie problem”—

 

- - our old self of sin and selfishness can still influence us,

          and we may find ourselves driven more by fear than by faith.

 

Instead of living joyful, and hope-filled lives,   transformedà

            by the gracious love of God and the Holy Spirit at work in us,

                        we slip back into our old dead ways,

                              taking on the values of this broken & corrupt world…

 

            … living far less than the blessed lives intended by God…

                                    … which is the main point of the Deuteronomy 8 text.

 

The setting is that the people of Israel

            were finally just about to enter the Promised Land.

For 40 years in the wilderness, manna had been a daily reminder

            of their relationship and dependence on God for everything.

 

    But the manna would stop coming

            once they could provide for themselves in the Promised Land.

The danger was that as they labored and prospered,

    they might forget that everything was still a gift from God---

 

                        --- so don’t let God’s blessings become a distractionà

vs. 12~18                                           

            When you have eaten your fill and have built fine houses and live in them, then do not exalt yourself, forgetting the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, ...  Do not say to yourself, “My power and the might of my own hand have gotten me this wealth.”  But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power…

 

As we move into a new year, we face that same temptation.

                 Living our familiar and comfortable lives,

                        we can be distracted, become complacent  & compromised.

 

            We can forget who we really are, (chosen, holy and beloved),

                        and the gracious gifts, promises and blessings of God,

                                        and take on the deadly corruptions of our culture

                                                and the flawed values and ideas of this world.

 

It’s our ongoing  zombie problem, thatà

          sometimes we fail to live transformed and exceptional lives

              that proclaim the truth and Gospel of Jesus Christ,

                    and faithfully reflect the justice and mercy of God.

 

Our call and hope,  is to keep   Jesus at the center of our lives,

            by seeking first   an authentic relationship with Christ

               that leads to meaningful, faithful & joyful discipleship.

 

As we move into a new year,

            our call   as the chosen, holy and beloved people of God

                        is to allow

                                    God’s presence and gracious purpose among us

                                                to encourage, instruct, guide, and define us,

            … and together, live lives that declare, “Jesus is Lord”.

 

As we approach the Lord’s Table and start a New Year,

               let us reflect and consider,

                        where am I right now, in my faith-walk with God?

 

And what would it mean to grow deeper,

            to rekindle my commitment and my response to God’s promises,

                so that rather than just passing through another year,

                                  this year became

                                      one the best years of my Christian life?

 

And what would it mean, if before every decision this year,

            I would stop, pause and consider    before I speak or act,

                        and ask, what does God want?,

                                    and what does the word of God have to say about it?

 

That is the issue at stake today,

     and has everything to do with keeping our shared vision alive.

 

So what if    at every crossroads,  

            with every choice, decision or option,

                        we evaluated and acted in faith based upon

                                    what would serve best to draw us closer toward God?

 

What if, starting today, we did   totally commit ourselves 

        to truly seeking God’s will and purpose for our lives,

                   pouring ourselves out entirely in faithful discipleship

                            and choosing sacrifice   rather than our own comfort?

 

Here is a blunt challenge:

            what if  no one was more committed and faithful than you are?

                           and what if every church member

                                    participated, served & sacrificed  just like you? …

      … would this church’s mission and ability to make a difference

               be enabled to grow and expand, or would we have to cut back?

 

Today, let the Lord’s Table of mercy and hope    be our reminderà

            of God’s grace, love, and call to faithful discipleship…

 

                        … and what if,        with our focus on things above,

                                    we recommitted more than ever this year,

                                        to knowing, enjoying and serving our Lord?…

 

… and refocused on living a life of obedient discipleship,

            eagerness to serve the Lord with my best and most willing,

               to step out in faith  trusting the truth & promises of God?…

                                    … just as Jesus promised in Matthew 6:33

                        But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.