Christ Exalting Worship
True Worship Begins With A Thankful and Repentant Heart.
George Wright
Jan 24, 2021 40m
What does worship mean to you? This message teaches us that true worship is not about the songs that we sing or the style of music that we choose, instead, it begins with a thankful and repentant heart that seeks to sing out to God honor Him for who He is. Video recorded at Columbia, South Carolina.
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peace of christ be thankful family of god repentance true worship powerful praise and worship versesTranscriptionmessageRegarding Grammar:
This is a transcription of the sermon. People speak differently than they write, and there are common colloquialisms in this transcript that sound good when spoken, and look like bad grammar when written.
This is a transcription of the sermon. People speak differently than they write, and there are common colloquialisms in this transcript that sound good when spoken, and look like bad grammar when written.
George Wright: 00:18 Well, thank you, Kim, and thank you for being here with us this morning, what a joy it is to now have the opportunity to turn our attention to the word of the Lord. Colossians chapter 3, is where we have been spending some time over the past few weeks, as we have been pushing into a new year, and simply saying the very truthful statement that we all feel in some form or fashion, I need a change. I need a change. And in Colossians chapter 3, we see where the power of change comes from. We see the opportunity that God invites us into as his church, as his people, to experience change in our lives, that change that then can trickle out and leak out into the world around us, as we then live as changed people in a world that so desperately needs change.
George Wright: 01:20 So turn your attention to Colossians chapter 3, we're going to pick up in verse 15, right where we left off last week. But before I read our opening scripture, before I invite you to stand with me for the reading of God's Word, I want to give you an update as to how we finished the year 2020 as a church, specifically as it relates to our finances. Last year, when COVID flipped everything on its head, back in the spring of 2020, we as a staff team and as a leadership team here at Shandon made a very diligent and concentrated effort to do whatever we could to reduce expenses, because we recognize we were going into a very unprecedented time. We had no idea what that would mean for the finances of the church, for the giving of specific individuals. And so we wanted to do everything we could to be as prepared as possible for the way things might unfold in 2020. And through our efforts to cut expenses, and then also through the very generous and consistent giving of the people here at Shandon, even in the midst of so much uncertainty, we were able to finish 2020 in a very beautiful, beautiful way.
George Wright: 02:46 God moved in power through the generosity of God's people here at Shandon, and we are very, very grateful. We set out a goal, as we do each year, but specifically pressed into this very hard last spring. We want to do everything we can, no matter how much changes in our economy, or in the finances of this church, we want to do everything we can to ensure that our expenses do not exceed our giving. That is our very specific goal each and every year, and I am so grateful to be able to report to you that when 2020 closed and the books finally were closed here this month on last year, our giving here at Shandon was just over $7,320,000, and our total expenses were just over $7,085,000, so our giving exceeded our expenses by over $236,000 in the midst of a global pandemic. Church, get excited, that's good news, that is really good news. And I can't thank you enough again for your generosity, your faithfulness, to continue to give obediently, to give worshipply, it has been such a tremendous blessing to see the people of God respond even in the midst of so much uncertainty.
George Wright: 04:21 I want to remind you of the budget number that was approved by the leadership, and by the church, affirmed by the church back at the end of last year for 2021. Our budget for 2021, that we have laid before the church, is just over $7,590,000, and so we recognize that this is a step of faith, this is an increase over our giving from 2020. But we believe wholeheartedly as the people of God respond, and as you personally drive a stake in the ground of generosity in 2021, that this is a budget that can be attained and achieved. And so we want to encourage you to continue to push into generosity, continue to lean into faithfulness and obedience, according to God's Word, to worship through giving. Thank you, thank you, for the way you have responded in such tremendous faith, and we believe that God will use that beautiful way in '21.
George Wright: 05:28 So with that in mind, now we turn our attention to the Word of God, Colossians 3 beginning in verse 15. And I like to invite you if you're willing and able to stand with me as I read from the Word of God, that we all would be reminded, the Word of God is the foundation for the people of God, the solid rock on which we stand. The Word of God lays before us what God says is right and good and true. The Word of God, today, is what we need to hear. And so we turn our attention to God's Word through the divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to the Apostle Paul, to the church of the Colossians, to the people of God today, we see this, "And let the peace of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts 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." This is the word of the Lord.
George Wright: 06:52 Pray with me, as we consider God's Word together. Heavenly Father, it is such a tremendous joy each and every time we turn our attention to the word of life, breathed out to us through the spirit of God. And so I pray that as your spirit moves among us today in this place, and among those who join us online for this service, I pray that your word would come to life in us, that we would see what you desire for us to see, that we would have open ears to receive what you desire for us to hear. Lord, have your way among us, we need to hear from you the living God. And so we pray that your living and active word would cut to the heart of the matter in our lives, and invite us to see with greater clarity, the beauty of your love and grace made available to us through Jesus Christ our Lord. We commit this time to you, and it is in his name that we pray. Amen. Amen. Thank you for standing. You may be seated.
George Wright: 08:26 In the fall of 1963, in the midst of the biggest college football game of the year nationally, the Army Navy football game, a new technology was introduced that would forever change the way the world would view sports on television, that new technology was something called instant replay. Instant replay had never before been seen, his was a brand new idea. The first instant replay machine weighed over 1300 pounds, this was a serious piece of equipment, it was not easy to figure out the technology of how you rewind the action of a game to then play it again for the viewing audience to see at home. And so near the end of the Army Navy football game, the replay machine was put into action, and the play-by-play commentator wanted it to be very clear to the viewing audience, no, you are not watching Army score twice, you are seeing a replay of a touchdown that just took place. And the TV audience was amazed, in awe, as replay was introduced and would change the game altogether.
George Wright: 10:07 It was then in recent memory, that replay truly changed the game, as leagues all around the country, collegiate and professional, begin to make the decision starting with the national football league in 1999 to allow instant replay to be used in the game to override or overturn a call that the official or referee had made in the game. And before instant replay changed the game, as we all know, the ruling on the field by the official was final. And the crowd could boo, and the coaches could go crazy and lose their mind, and everyone could yell at the refs, but when the ref made the call, the call would stand. The call of the umpire, or the official, or the referee, was the final call, it was the final say, it ruled with authority on the field. What in the world does this have to do with Colossians chapter 3? Colossians chapter 3 verse 15, the word that we just read as the Apostle Paul says, "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts." This is a word that only shows up in this verse in the New Testament, and it is a word that was used to describe a ruling of an umpire, or an official, in an athletic competition. The games were a big deal, everyone watching the games knew that when the official made a ruling, the ruling was final, the ruling would stand, the ruling could not be debated or overturned. And so the Apostle Paul is saying very clearly to the church, "Let the peace of Christ have the final say in your life. Let the peace of Christ rule your heart. Let the peace of Christ be the authority, listen to this, that determines how we interact with others and how we interact with the changing circumstances of our lives. Let the peace of Christ rule and have the final say.
George Wright: 12:57 The scripture here is saying when you encounter difficult circumstances, when conflicts arise in relationships, if you are a Jesus follower, the peace of Christ that has been given to you, as you have peace with God through what Christ has done, should be the overriding rule in your life, the stabilizing force, the final say. Let the peace of Christ have authority in your heart. So how does this happen practically? How can we let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts and have the final say? Well, scripture is going to go on to give us a few specific ways that we are taught here in the Word of God to allow, or invite, the peace of Christ to rule in our hearts.
George Wright: 14:02 Look back at verse 15, again, "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful." We see the first two ways that the peace of Christ begins to rule in the heart of a Jesus follower here in verse 15, the way the peace of Christ begins to dictate the way we interact with others, especially when conflicts arise. First, we see the importance of gospel unity in gospel community. Gospel unity in gospel community. For Jesus followers are called to one body, the body of Christ, and Jesus followers are called to live and relate in that body, in unity, for the sake of the family of God, being a picture of the love of God to the world around us. You see, this is the call for the people of God, in the context of the church, the community of God, the family of God, the body of Christ, to keep Christ as the main focus, and the main thing, in all that we do in our community. Because the only way that we will have true gospel community in the body of Christ, is to keep Jesus the focus. It's so important that we understand this.
George Wright: 15:41 The Apostle Paul would say it this way to the church in Ephesus, Ephesians chapter 4 verses 15 and 16, we'll put this on the screen. He says, "Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love." Christ is the head of the body. Christ is the focus of the church. You want to have gospel unity in gospel community, fix your eyes on Jesus, that's what the scripture is saying. And we know how important this is, do we not? For the reality is every single one of us gathered here today, every single one that is gathered online, we all have opinions. And every single one of us gathered here today, and every single one joining us online, we all have preferences. And every single one of us gathered here today, and joining us online, we all have sin. And if we interact with others in the body of Christ, and the only focus of our interaction are our opinions and our preferences, please don't miss this, our sin will win the day, and division and discord and conflict will be the story for the body of Christ. But if we interact with others in the body of Christ, and we make it our top priority to keep Jesus as the focus, even over and above our opinions and our preferences, the peace of Christ will rule in our hearts and the body of Christ will be a beautiful expression of the grace and forgiveness that has been made available to us through Christ, listen, even when our opinions and our preferences disagree. So, are we keeping Christ as the main thing? Are we truly, intentionally diligently, striving for gospel unity in gospel community. Because if we desire for the peace of Christ to rule in our hearts, we must remember that we were called to one body, and that one body has one head, and his name is Jesus. He is the point.
George Wright: 19:02 And then we also see in verse 15, what we see in verse 16, what we see in verse 17, that the Word of God is making it clear, if you want to have the peace of Christ ruling in your hearts, you must have a thankful heart. Verse 15 ends with the simple statement, "And be thankful." This idea of thanksgiving and thankfulness, again, shows up in all three of these verses we are considering today. Why does the scripture talk about thanksgiving over and over and over and over again? Well, probably because you have found this to be true in your life, the way I've found this to be true in my life, and in my household specifically, we have far more to be thankful for than we have to complain about, but we oftentimes spend far more time complaining than we spend being thankful. That's the reality I think we all have been faced with over this last year, what is your perspective leading you to in the way you respond to the events of this past year? Have you been reminded of all these reasons that you have to be thankful, or have you been fixing all of your attention, and your energy, and your mental capacity, on all the things that you to complain about? The Word of God says to the people of God, if you want the peace of Christ to rule in your heart, you must intentionally pursue a heart of thanksgiving, you must intentionally strive to focus on that which God has done for you, that you certainly could not do for yourself, and be thankful to God for who he is and what he has done.
George Wright: 21:24 So, how then do you let the peace of Christ rule in your heart in a life of thanksgiving? How do you let gratitude the become the ongoing reality in the way you interact with others? Verse 16 then, shows us the key, and this is such an important verse as it relates to peace in the hearts of the people of God. And because this is such an important statement, or such an important verse, as it relates to peace in the hearts of the people of God, you better believe that what we see in verse 16 is going to be attacked by the enemy of God over and over and over again, keep that in mind. If the peace of Christ is going to rule in our hearts, verse 16 must leap off the page and into our hearts, but the enemy of God does not want the peace of Christ to rule in our hearts, and so he is going to attack what we see in verse 16 over and over again. So what do we see in verse 16? We see simply this, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God." The Word of God is saying to the people of God, if you desire for the peace of Christ to rule in your hearts, and you want to grow in gratitude and thanksgiving in light of what God has done, here is the key, the word and worship must be our foundation.
George Wright: 23:26 The Word of God, and the worship of God, must be our foundation. The scripture is saying, be filled with the Word of God, and be filled with the worship of God. For when the Word of God dwells in richly, not just academically or intellectually, but richly in our head, in our heart, and in our soul, then our lives will be filled with worship as we respond to who God is and what he has done, what is revealed in the Word of God? So I want to talk about the importance of the word, and the importance of Christ exalting worship, for just a moment here. For what we see throughout the scripture is true worship, the worship that God desires from his people, true worship, please don't miss this, flows out of a heart of thanksgiving that is grounded in the Word of God. A heart of thanksgiving that is grounded in the Word of God. And a heart of thanksgiving, please hear this, that is grounded in the Word of God will lead us every time to repentance. We will see our need for the gospel, and we will cry out to God in true worship, and in thanksgiving, that God has met our need in Christ. And we can say it this way, true worship that honors God, is worship that flows out of repentance.
George Wright: 25:23 I'm going to read a statement from Kent Hughes in his commentary, he says this, "Acceptable worship is sweetened with a spirit of repentance. Your worship is unacceptable, unless it is the overflow of repentance. So which claims the greater urgency in our hearts, the form of our worship, or the quality of our lives? Are we at least as eager to repent of our sins, as we are to preserve our form of worship? Where does the sense of urgency lie?" This is challenging to consider, the Word of God talks specifically about the hearts of God's people as it relates to the importance of worship. So we must stop and consider, are we more urgently concerned about a style of worship, or our preference in worship, or a song selection in worship, then we are urgently concerned about the sin in our life that needs to be laid at the cross in repentance, that we might be forgiven and resting in the grace of God, through the blood of Jesus? For that's the heart of worship that God truly desires. And so it comes down to this, the question is, are we more urgently concerned about what we want out of worship or what God desires from us in true biblical worship?
George Wright: 27:33 I want to go on a little journey as it relates to this very important teaching in scripture. And one of the most beautiful places that true worship is described, it's described all throughout the scripture, but one of the most beautiful and succinct places that true God honoring worship is described in the scripture is in Psalm 51. And I know many of you are familiar with Psalm 51, it is a beautiful, beautiful Psalm, as King David is crying out to God, painfully aware of his sin. He has come face to face with his need for the mercy of God, and as he comes face to face with his need for the mercy of God, his heart cries out in brokenness and repentance. Look at what we see in Psalm 51, beginning in verse 1, "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, David says, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment." Remember, this is David, the man called a man after God's own heart, crying out to God in worship that flows out of repentance. For David is saying, I recognize, I am helpless and I am hopeless without you, my God. For I'm aware of my sin, I'm not denying it, I'm not trying to spiritualize it away and ignore it, I'm not sweeping my sin under the rug and acting like everything's good, and shiny, and perfect, in my life. No, I see my sin, it's ugly. And I'm crying out to you to have mercy on me because apart from your mercy, I have nothing, and so I'm trusting in you alone, my God. And I'm worshiping you as my only hope, the God of my salvation. You see for David here, this is not at all about style or preference. David's not saying, hey, I'll worship this way, if they sing the song I like. No, he's pouring out his heart in repentance, broken before the Lord saying, my only hope is you.
George Wright: 30:37 We jump down to verse 10 of Psalm 51 and we see the cry of his heart, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." That's the cry of any true worshiper, create in me a clean heart, my heart is not clean on my own, I can't clean up my heart. God, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit." David is saying you are my only hope, my God. I can't fix what is broken in me, I need you, my God, to restore me and renew me. My sin has caused me to deserve to be far away from you, but you O God do not give me what my sin deserves. Let me remember this truth, let me remember this truth, that God is not giving me what my sin deserves. Restore me to the joy of my salvation, because your salvation is not what I deserve, your salvation is a gift of grace that you have lavishly poured out upon me. Let me remember that, and I will worship, worship with a heart of repentance and gratitude.
George Wright: 32:21 And then we see David say in verse 15 and following, of Psalm 51, "O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." For this is the heart of worship that God desires from his people. This is the worship that is pleasing to God, true Christ exalting worship that flows out of a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart, that is talking about repentance, recognizing the need I have and turning in my need to my only hope who is my God. This is all about fixing our eyes on what he has done for us.
George Wright: 33:42 So very quickly, this just brings up the question, if this is true worship, how in the world could so much of the conversation about worship in church world lead to tension and even division in the church. And the answer is simply this, many times when we talk about worship, we immediately begin to talk about what we want instead of fixing our minds on the heart that God desires. This is challenging to consider, but the reality is for far too long in the church, especially in our culture, the conversation around worship has been more concerned about style than it is concerned about the heart. We must move away from that, we must focus on what God desires in worship, which is the heart. And we must remember, with gratitude and thanksgiving, what God has done for us. I've heard it said this way, you can tell much about an individual or a church by their singing, we can tell not only by what they sing, but how they sing.
George Wright: 35:25 And so the question I have as we prepare to close this message is, what is revealed through our singing, Shandon? What is being seen through singing? Our people seeing, well, they like some songs, but they don't like other songs, and the only sing if they like the songs that they hear? Is it being told of us that they think there's only one way that worship can be done, and if it's not done that way, then we're just not going to be happy, and we're just not going to worship? Is it said of us that there is excitement and passion and joy and gratitude, or is it said of us that we are bored and complacent? What is our singing revealing, are our hearts crying out to God in gratitude and thanksgiving with repentance, overwhelmed by the mercy and the grace of God, singing songs because of the joy we have in the salvation of Jesus Christ. I'm not saying the style conversation is not important, it's certainly important, but it cannot be the number one priority in a conversation about worship, for God desires the heart. For the peace of Christ to rule in the hearts of God's people, we must be grounded in the word, we must be responding to the word through repentance in thanksgiving as an act of worship.
George Wright: 37:20 And then Paul shows us here why this is so important, verse 17, "Whatever you do, in word or deed, do
everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." You see, the scripture is saying when the peace of Christ rules in your heart, and the Word of God is the foundation of your life, and true God honoring worship flows out of a repentant and thankful heart, it will begin to impact every area of your life. And your life will be a living example of what Jesus Christ has done, this is not a compartmentalize faith that just lives by faith on Sunday and lives in the old way Monday through Saturday. No, this is not a faith that we put on the shelf when we're not at church, this is a faith that impacts all that we are, and all that we do, that brings glory and honor to the name of Jesus, because a joyful heart of worship is singing out to our God for who he is and what he has done, not just on Sunday, but every day. In all that you do, and whatever you do, do it in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. So what is it that needs to happen in your life, personally, that the peace of Christ can rule in your heart, that the peace of Christ can have the final say? What needs to happen? Where is repentance needed? What needs to be laid at the cross?
George Wright: 39:09 Let's pray, Father God, I am so grateful for your love and your mercy toward us. What you have invited us into is so beautiful, so incredibly, incredibly merciful and gracious. Lord, we want our lives to honor you, we want the peace of Christ to rule in our hearts. So Lord, Lord, please show us, show us what needs to be laid before you in repentance, show us where we've made this more about ourselves, or more about our preference, than we've made about what you desire. So create in us a clean heart, create in me a clean heart, that we might return to the joy of your salvation and live our lives in such a way that is obvious the peace of Christ rules in our hearts, the Word of God, dwells richly in us. Lord, please let it be so. Give us the faith to trust you at your word, and to follow as you lead. It's in Jesus' name, I pray this prayer. Amen.
Recorded in Columbia, South Carolina.
George Wright: 01:20 So turn your attention to Colossians chapter 3, we're going to pick up in verse 15, right where we left off last week. But before I read our opening scripture, before I invite you to stand with me for the reading of God's Word, I want to give you an update as to how we finished the year 2020 as a church, specifically as it relates to our finances. Last year, when COVID flipped everything on its head, back in the spring of 2020, we as a staff team and as a leadership team here at Shandon made a very diligent and concentrated effort to do whatever we could to reduce expenses, because we recognize we were going into a very unprecedented time. We had no idea what that would mean for the finances of the church, for the giving of specific individuals. And so we wanted to do everything we could to be as prepared as possible for the way things might unfold in 2020. And through our efforts to cut expenses, and then also through the very generous and consistent giving of the people here at Shandon, even in the midst of so much uncertainty, we were able to finish 2020 in a very beautiful, beautiful way.
George Wright: 02:46 God moved in power through the generosity of God's people here at Shandon, and we are very, very grateful. We set out a goal, as we do each year, but specifically pressed into this very hard last spring. We want to do everything we can, no matter how much changes in our economy, or in the finances of this church, we want to do everything we can to ensure that our expenses do not exceed our giving. That is our very specific goal each and every year, and I am so grateful to be able to report to you that when 2020 closed and the books finally were closed here this month on last year, our giving here at Shandon was just over $7,320,000, and our total expenses were just over $7,085,000, so our giving exceeded our expenses by over $236,000 in the midst of a global pandemic. Church, get excited, that's good news, that is really good news. And I can't thank you enough again for your generosity, your faithfulness, to continue to give obediently, to give worshipply, it has been such a tremendous blessing to see the people of God respond even in the midst of so much uncertainty.
George Wright: 04:21 I want to remind you of the budget number that was approved by the leadership, and by the church, affirmed by the church back at the end of last year for 2021. Our budget for 2021, that we have laid before the church, is just over $7,590,000, and so we recognize that this is a step of faith, this is an increase over our giving from 2020. But we believe wholeheartedly as the people of God respond, and as you personally drive a stake in the ground of generosity in 2021, that this is a budget that can be attained and achieved. And so we want to encourage you to continue to push into generosity, continue to lean into faithfulness and obedience, according to God's Word, to worship through giving. Thank you, thank you, for the way you have responded in such tremendous faith, and we believe that God will use that beautiful way in '21.
George Wright: 05:28 So with that in mind, now we turn our attention to the Word of God, Colossians 3 beginning in verse 15. And I like to invite you if you're willing and able to stand with me as I read from the Word of God, that we all would be reminded, the Word of God is the foundation for the people of God, the solid rock on which we stand. The Word of God lays before us what God says is right and good and true. The Word of God, today, is what we need to hear. And so we turn our attention to God's Word through the divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to the Apostle Paul, to the church of the Colossians, to the people of God today, we see this, "And let the peace of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts 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." This is the word of the Lord.
George Wright: 06:52 Pray with me, as we consider God's Word together. Heavenly Father, it is such a tremendous joy each and every time we turn our attention to the word of life, breathed out to us through the spirit of God. And so I pray that as your spirit moves among us today in this place, and among those who join us online for this service, I pray that your word would come to life in us, that we would see what you desire for us to see, that we would have open ears to receive what you desire for us to hear. Lord, have your way among us, we need to hear from you the living God. And so we pray that your living and active word would cut to the heart of the matter in our lives, and invite us to see with greater clarity, the beauty of your love and grace made available to us through Jesus Christ our Lord. We commit this time to you, and it is in his name that we pray. Amen. Amen. Thank you for standing. You may be seated.
George Wright: 08:26 In the fall of 1963, in the midst of the biggest college football game of the year nationally, the Army Navy football game, a new technology was introduced that would forever change the way the world would view sports on television, that new technology was something called instant replay. Instant replay had never before been seen, his was a brand new idea. The first instant replay machine weighed over 1300 pounds, this was a serious piece of equipment, it was not easy to figure out the technology of how you rewind the action of a game to then play it again for the viewing audience to see at home. And so near the end of the Army Navy football game, the replay machine was put into action, and the play-by-play commentator wanted it to be very clear to the viewing audience, no, you are not watching Army score twice, you are seeing a replay of a touchdown that just took place. And the TV audience was amazed, in awe, as replay was introduced and would change the game altogether.
George Wright: 10:07 It was then in recent memory, that replay truly changed the game, as leagues all around the country, collegiate and professional, begin to make the decision starting with the national football league in 1999 to allow instant replay to be used in the game to override or overturn a call that the official or referee had made in the game. And before instant replay changed the game, as we all know, the ruling on the field by the official was final. And the crowd could boo, and the coaches could go crazy and lose their mind, and everyone could yell at the refs, but when the ref made the call, the call would stand. The call of the umpire, or the official, or the referee, was the final call, it was the final say, it ruled with authority on the field. What in the world does this have to do with Colossians chapter 3? Colossians chapter 3 verse 15, the word that we just read as the Apostle Paul says, "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts." This is a word that only shows up in this verse in the New Testament, and it is a word that was used to describe a ruling of an umpire, or an official, in an athletic competition. The games were a big deal, everyone watching the games knew that when the official made a ruling, the ruling was final, the ruling would stand, the ruling could not be debated or overturned. And so the Apostle Paul is saying very clearly to the church, "Let the peace of Christ have the final say in your life. Let the peace of Christ rule your heart. Let the peace of Christ be the authority, listen to this, that determines how we interact with others and how we interact with the changing circumstances of our lives. Let the peace of Christ rule and have the final say.
George Wright: 12:57 The scripture here is saying when you encounter difficult circumstances, when conflicts arise in relationships, if you are a Jesus follower, the peace of Christ that has been given to you, as you have peace with God through what Christ has done, should be the overriding rule in your life, the stabilizing force, the final say. Let the peace of Christ have authority in your heart. So how does this happen practically? How can we let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts and have the final say? Well, scripture is going to go on to give us a few specific ways that we are taught here in the Word of God to allow, or invite, the peace of Christ to rule in our hearts.
George Wright: 14:02 Look back at verse 15, again, "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful." We see the first two ways that the peace of Christ begins to rule in the heart of a Jesus follower here in verse 15, the way the peace of Christ begins to dictate the way we interact with others, especially when conflicts arise. First, we see the importance of gospel unity in gospel community. Gospel unity in gospel community. For Jesus followers are called to one body, the body of Christ, and Jesus followers are called to live and relate in that body, in unity, for the sake of the family of God, being a picture of the love of God to the world around us. You see, this is the call for the people of God, in the context of the church, the community of God, the family of God, the body of Christ, to keep Christ as the main focus, and the main thing, in all that we do in our community. Because the only way that we will have true gospel community in the body of Christ, is to keep Jesus the focus. It's so important that we understand this.
George Wright: 15:41 The Apostle Paul would say it this way to the church in Ephesus, Ephesians chapter 4 verses 15 and 16, we'll put this on the screen. He says, "Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love." Christ is the head of the body. Christ is the focus of the church. You want to have gospel unity in gospel community, fix your eyes on Jesus, that's what the scripture is saying. And we know how important this is, do we not? For the reality is every single one of us gathered here today, every single one that is gathered online, we all have opinions. And every single one of us gathered here today, and every single one joining us online, we all have preferences. And every single one of us gathered here today, and joining us online, we all have sin. And if we interact with others in the body of Christ, and the only focus of our interaction are our opinions and our preferences, please don't miss this, our sin will win the day, and division and discord and conflict will be the story for the body of Christ. But if we interact with others in the body of Christ, and we make it our top priority to keep Jesus as the focus, even over and above our opinions and our preferences, the peace of Christ will rule in our hearts and the body of Christ will be a beautiful expression of the grace and forgiveness that has been made available to us through Christ, listen, even when our opinions and our preferences disagree. So, are we keeping Christ as the main thing? Are we truly, intentionally diligently, striving for gospel unity in gospel community. Because if we desire for the peace of Christ to rule in our hearts, we must remember that we were called to one body, and that one body has one head, and his name is Jesus. He is the point.
George Wright: 19:02 And then we also see in verse 15, what we see in verse 16, what we see in verse 17, that the Word of God is making it clear, if you want to have the peace of Christ ruling in your hearts, you must have a thankful heart. Verse 15 ends with the simple statement, "And be thankful." This idea of thanksgiving and thankfulness, again, shows up in all three of these verses we are considering today. Why does the scripture talk about thanksgiving over and over and over and over again? Well, probably because you have found this to be true in your life, the way I've found this to be true in my life, and in my household specifically, we have far more to be thankful for than we have to complain about, but we oftentimes spend far more time complaining than we spend being thankful. That's the reality I think we all have been faced with over this last year, what is your perspective leading you to in the way you respond to the events of this past year? Have you been reminded of all these reasons that you have to be thankful, or have you been fixing all of your attention, and your energy, and your mental capacity, on all the things that you to complain about? The Word of God says to the people of God, if you want the peace of Christ to rule in your heart, you must intentionally pursue a heart of thanksgiving, you must intentionally strive to focus on that which God has done for you, that you certainly could not do for yourself, and be thankful to God for who he is and what he has done.
George Wright: 21:24 So, how then do you let the peace of Christ rule in your heart in a life of thanksgiving? How do you let gratitude the become the ongoing reality in the way you interact with others? Verse 16 then, shows us the key, and this is such an important verse as it relates to peace in the hearts of the people of God. And because this is such an important statement, or such an important verse, as it relates to peace in the hearts of the people of God, you better believe that what we see in verse 16 is going to be attacked by the enemy of God over and over and over again, keep that in mind. If the peace of Christ is going to rule in our hearts, verse 16 must leap off the page and into our hearts, but the enemy of God does not want the peace of Christ to rule in our hearts, and so he is going to attack what we see in verse 16 over and over again. So what do we see in verse 16? We see simply this, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God." The Word of God is saying to the people of God, if you desire for the peace of Christ to rule in your hearts, and you want to grow in gratitude and thanksgiving in light of what God has done, here is the key, the word and worship must be our foundation.
George Wright: 23:26 The Word of God, and the worship of God, must be our foundation. The scripture is saying, be filled with the Word of God, and be filled with the worship of God. For when the Word of God dwells in richly, not just academically or intellectually, but richly in our head, in our heart, and in our soul, then our lives will be filled with worship as we respond to who God is and what he has done, what is revealed in the Word of God? So I want to talk about the importance of the word, and the importance of Christ exalting worship, for just a moment here. For what we see throughout the scripture is true worship, the worship that God desires from his people, true worship, please don't miss this, flows out of a heart of thanksgiving that is grounded in the Word of God. A heart of thanksgiving that is grounded in the Word of God. And a heart of thanksgiving, please hear this, that is grounded in the Word of God will lead us every time to repentance. We will see our need for the gospel, and we will cry out to God in true worship, and in thanksgiving, that God has met our need in Christ. And we can say it this way, true worship that honors God, is worship that flows out of repentance.
George Wright: 25:23 I'm going to read a statement from Kent Hughes in his commentary, he says this, "Acceptable worship is sweetened with a spirit of repentance. Your worship is unacceptable, unless it is the overflow of repentance. So which claims the greater urgency in our hearts, the form of our worship, or the quality of our lives? Are we at least as eager to repent of our sins, as we are to preserve our form of worship? Where does the sense of urgency lie?" This is challenging to consider, the Word of God talks specifically about the hearts of God's people as it relates to the importance of worship. So we must stop and consider, are we more urgently concerned about a style of worship, or our preference in worship, or a song selection in worship, then we are urgently concerned about the sin in our life that needs to be laid at the cross in repentance, that we might be forgiven and resting in the grace of God, through the blood of Jesus? For that's the heart of worship that God truly desires. And so it comes down to this, the question is, are we more urgently concerned about what we want out of worship or what God desires from us in true biblical worship?
George Wright: 27:33 I want to go on a little journey as it relates to this very important teaching in scripture. And one of the most beautiful places that true worship is described, it's described all throughout the scripture, but one of the most beautiful and succinct places that true God honoring worship is described in the scripture is in Psalm 51. And I know many of you are familiar with Psalm 51, it is a beautiful, beautiful Psalm, as King David is crying out to God, painfully aware of his sin. He has come face to face with his need for the mercy of God, and as he comes face to face with his need for the mercy of God, his heart cries out in brokenness and repentance. Look at what we see in Psalm 51, beginning in verse 1, "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, David says, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment." Remember, this is David, the man called a man after God's own heart, crying out to God in worship that flows out of repentance. For David is saying, I recognize, I am helpless and I am hopeless without you, my God. For I'm aware of my sin, I'm not denying it, I'm not trying to spiritualize it away and ignore it, I'm not sweeping my sin under the rug and acting like everything's good, and shiny, and perfect, in my life. No, I see my sin, it's ugly. And I'm crying out to you to have mercy on me because apart from your mercy, I have nothing, and so I'm trusting in you alone, my God. And I'm worshiping you as my only hope, the God of my salvation. You see for David here, this is not at all about style or preference. David's not saying, hey, I'll worship this way, if they sing the song I like. No, he's pouring out his heart in repentance, broken before the Lord saying, my only hope is you.
George Wright: 30:37 We jump down to verse 10 of Psalm 51 and we see the cry of his heart, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." That's the cry of any true worshiper, create in me a clean heart, my heart is not clean on my own, I can't clean up my heart. God, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit." David is saying you are my only hope, my God. I can't fix what is broken in me, I need you, my God, to restore me and renew me. My sin has caused me to deserve to be far away from you, but you O God do not give me what my sin deserves. Let me remember this truth, let me remember this truth, that God is not giving me what my sin deserves. Restore me to the joy of my salvation, because your salvation is not what I deserve, your salvation is a gift of grace that you have lavishly poured out upon me. Let me remember that, and I will worship, worship with a heart of repentance and gratitude.
George Wright: 32:21 And then we see David say in verse 15 and following, of Psalm 51, "O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." For this is the heart of worship that God desires from his people. This is the worship that is pleasing to God, true Christ exalting worship that flows out of a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart, that is talking about repentance, recognizing the need I have and turning in my need to my only hope who is my God. This is all about fixing our eyes on what he has done for us.
George Wright: 33:42 So very quickly, this just brings up the question, if this is true worship, how in the world could so much of the conversation about worship in church world lead to tension and even division in the church. And the answer is simply this, many times when we talk about worship, we immediately begin to talk about what we want instead of fixing our minds on the heart that God desires. This is challenging to consider, but the reality is for far too long in the church, especially in our culture, the conversation around worship has been more concerned about style than it is concerned about the heart. We must move away from that, we must focus on what God desires in worship, which is the heart. And we must remember, with gratitude and thanksgiving, what God has done for us. I've heard it said this way, you can tell much about an individual or a church by their singing, we can tell not only by what they sing, but how they sing.
George Wright: 35:25 And so the question I have as we prepare to close this message is, what is revealed through our singing, Shandon? What is being seen through singing? Our people seeing, well, they like some songs, but they don't like other songs, and the only sing if they like the songs that they hear? Is it being told of us that they think there's only one way that worship can be done, and if it's not done that way, then we're just not going to be happy, and we're just not going to worship? Is it said of us that there is excitement and passion and joy and gratitude, or is it said of us that we are bored and complacent? What is our singing revealing, are our hearts crying out to God in gratitude and thanksgiving with repentance, overwhelmed by the mercy and the grace of God, singing songs because of the joy we have in the salvation of Jesus Christ. I'm not saying the style conversation is not important, it's certainly important, but it cannot be the number one priority in a conversation about worship, for God desires the heart. For the peace of Christ to rule in the hearts of God's people, we must be grounded in the word, we must be responding to the word through repentance in thanksgiving as an act of worship.
George Wright: 37:20 And then Paul shows us here why this is so important, verse 17, "Whatever you do, in word or deed, do
everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." You see, the scripture is saying when the peace of Christ rules in your heart, and the Word of God is the foundation of your life, and true God honoring worship flows out of a repentant and thankful heart, it will begin to impact every area of your life. And your life will be a living example of what Jesus Christ has done, this is not a compartmentalize faith that just lives by faith on Sunday and lives in the old way Monday through Saturday. No, this is not a faith that we put on the shelf when we're not at church, this is a faith that impacts all that we are, and all that we do, that brings glory and honor to the name of Jesus, because a joyful heart of worship is singing out to our God for who he is and what he has done, not just on Sunday, but every day. In all that you do, and whatever you do, do it in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. So what is it that needs to happen in your life, personally, that the peace of Christ can rule in your heart, that the peace of Christ can have the final say? What needs to happen? Where is repentance needed? What needs to be laid at the cross?
George Wright: 39:09 Let's pray, Father God, I am so grateful for your love and your mercy toward us. What you have invited us into is so beautiful, so incredibly, incredibly merciful and gracious. Lord, we want our lives to honor you, we want the peace of Christ to rule in our hearts. So Lord, Lord, please show us, show us what needs to be laid before you in repentance, show us where we've made this more about ourselves, or more about our preference, than we've made about what you desire. So create in us a clean heart, create in me a clean heart, that we might return to the joy of your salvation and live our lives in such a way that is obvious the peace of Christ rules in our hearts, the Word of God, dwells richly in us. Lord, please let it be so. Give us the faith to trust you at your word, and to follow as you lead. It's in Jesus' name, I pray this prayer. Amen.
Recorded in Columbia, South Carolina.
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