Colossians: Let the Word of Christ Dwell in You Richly

Preached on 5.24.09 by Dustin Neeley
Sermon Notes

 

“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.” Colossians 3:16

 

What is God telling us to do?

1. “Let the word of Christ…“
   • The Gospel. Rom. 10:17
2. “…dwell in you richly…”
   • Lit. “to make room,” “abundantly/extravagantly be at home”
   • To have the Gospel impact and influence every area of our lives.
   • Both communal and individual implications.
3. “…teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom…”
   • Teaching: Both public and private.
   • Admonishing: Gospel-informed, rebuking/correcting.
   • Both should be done with as much wisdom as possible.
4. “…singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs…”
   • Christians have always been a singing people.
   • Psalms: Inspired songs from the Bible.
   • Hymns and Spiritual songs: Songs written by God’s people.
5. “…with thankfulness in your hearts to God…”
   • All of this should be done with an “air” of thankfulness.

 

How Do We Do This?

Teaching (with all wisdom):

1. Communal:
   • Gathered: Sunday services and Little Groups.
   • Scattered: Community Groups, Accountability, Mentoring.
2. Individual:
   • Personal devotional life.
   • Family devotional life.
   • Expose yourself to good “Gospel resources.” Check blog.

 How am I participating in teaching myself and others so that the “word of Christ” might dwell in us richly?

 

Singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs:

1. Communal: Sunday services.
2. Individual: Use Gospel hymns for devotions and family devotion. Get some good Gospel-driven Cds. Check our blog and CCB site.

How am I participating in singing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs so that the “word of Christ” might dwell in us richly?

 

Admonishing (with all wisdom):

1. The Gospel must be both the Motive and the Means.
   • The motive: Growing people in the Gospel is the End  (“let the word of Christ would dwell in you richly…”)
   • The means:  The way we are going to see that happen is through “Applying the Gospel.”
2. A Strategy for Gospel-Centered Accountability (the interpersonal form of “admonishment in all wisdom”):
   • Begins with believing and applying the Gospel yourself.
   • Can be either formal or informal, planned or unplanned.
   • The best accountability leading to the most change identifies and addresses both the ‘outer’ sins (behavior) and the ‘inner’ sins (the idols of the heart, the sin(s) behind the sin.)
   • Encourages/facilitates repentance of both the ‘inner’ and ‘outer levels’ and practical steps to address both.
   • Affirms Gospel Identity. (The sin doesn’t define the sinner.)
   • Done in Confident Humility and Grace and Truth.
   • The same principles are in play for both the ‘simple conversation’ and the ‘serious confrontation.’

The Gospel is our only hope for “letting the word of Christ dwell in us richly” both as individuals and as a community.

 

Works Consulted: Expositor’s Commentary, Life Application Bible, MacArthur Study Bible, ESV Study Bible