New Clothes (Colossians 3:12-17)

Sermon for Milledgeville and Whitestown UMC

New Clothes (Colossians 3:12-17)

A Christmas Story

 

What did Frosty’s girlfriend give him when she was mad at him? The cold shoulder.

 What did the snowman say to the aggressive carrot? “Get out of my face.”

 Why did the Little Drummer Boy put his drum to bed? It was beat.

 

I trust you all had pleasant Christmas gatherings.

 

We watched some of our favorite Christmas movies, like A Christmas Story (1983). I always laugh at the scene when Ralphie and his brother, Randy, are opening gifts. They open a gift with a pair of socks. They look at each other, shrug, chuck them over their shoulders, and dive into the next wrapped gift. I assume most of us are not that excited about getting clothes at Christmas. Although I’m into my new Star Wars socks!

 

In today’s reading, however, the apostle urges the church to put on their new clothes. But you got to chuck your old clothes first. I’ve got loads of clothes I need to get rid of. I’m too big for some. Others have sentimental value. But when it comes to life in Christ, it’s out with the old ways of living and in with the new ways of Jesus.

 

The letter to the Colossians is a short 4 chapters. Paul had never been to Colossae. It was a city in Western Turkey. Colossae was famous for producing wool.

 

Tradition states that Paul wrote to this church during his first imprisonment in Rome around 60-61 AD. The church was struggling with heretical teachings. Jewish mystics worshipped angels. Gnostics supposedly offer secret knowledge and special insight into divine mysteries, but Paul makes it clear where the Colossians should be looking for knowledge and wisdom.

 

 For I want you to know how greatly I strive for you… I want your hearts to be encouraged and united in love, so that you may have all the riches of assured understanding and have the knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

 

As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. (Col 2:1-2, 6)

 

Paul prays that the church will gain full knowledge of God’s will and the spiritual wisdom to understand the gospel of Jesus Christ, so that they live worthy of the Lord and please God in all aspects of their lives. To live worthy of Christ is to be patient in suffering, steadfast in faith, and to live in thanksgiving to God.

 

Paul addresses the false teaching that Jesus was not God. Some said Jesus is only human, others… a lesser god. Paul gives one of the New Testament’s strongest statements on the supremacy of Christ.

 

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross. (Col 1:15-20)

 

 

 

When the ancient world looked up at the night sky they saw the realm of gods and angels. The movement of stars and planets communicated powerful cosmic actions and gave portents of future events on earth, if one knew how to read them. The magi who visited Bethlehem and paid homage to the newborn King of the Jews, did so because they read the stars and knew the prophecy that messiah was promised to Israel and the whole earth. Modern horoscopes are a contemporary holdover of this worldview. But Paul wants the church to understand that Jesus reigns as Lord of all, over any and all supposed gods and angels. All divine agency comes through Jesus and is for Jesus. Christ is supreme.

 

Watch out that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have come to fullness in him, who is the head of every ruler and authority. (Col 2:9-10)

 

Paul encourages the church to not let anyone condemn them for not following the practices of the Jews. For those who are baptized in Christ are circumcised in the heart. They died to their old lives ruled by sin and fleshly desires, and rose with Jesus to a new life lived in His grace. That new life in Christ, which is empowered by God’s love and lifegiving Spirit, is like new clothes. We are to take off the clothing of the old life, and put on the clothing of the new!

 

 

Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry). On account of these the wrath of God is coming on those who are disobedient. These are the ways you also once followed, when you were living that life. But now you must get rid of all such things: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices... (Col 3:5-9)

 

Most of these old ways are the ways of pagan fertility cults, and the kind of immoral societies they bred. Drunkenness and carousing, orgies, gluttony and the like are spoken against in the New Testament. A selfish pursuit of pleasure is at the base of such behavior.

 

Anger is a natural emotion, a gift of God that communicates our need for justice. It gives energy to right wrongs, to change unfair situations. The anger Paul says to take off like old clothes is a violent passion that seeks to do harm to others. Angry outbursts are of the old life. The new life is slow to anger, patient in suffering, and able to hold onto the peace of Jesus Christ. Slandering one’s neighbor and vulgar language are of the old life. If one dwells in Christ, and Christ empowers their lives with His love, then such behavior does not belong in disciples. Throw those old clothes away. Get rid of such behavior.

 

Motivated by love, we are to wear Jesus and His ways like a new set of Christmas clothes!

 

“clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.” (Col 3:12)

 

Compassion is to feel pity for another in their need like a mother feels pity for her baby when they cry. Compassion draws us to those in need to ease their suffering, and lift their burdens. Kindness means to be good to others, to be morally excellent. Like Bill and Ted said, “Be excellent to each other… Party on, Dudes!”

 

Putting on your new Christ clothing means thinking of others as better than yourself, and looking to their needs before your own. Putting on your new Christ clothes means being gentle, offering a mild disposition to the world. I am a headbanging, lover of rock and roll! A mild disposition isn’t what rock and roll is about. For most it means a foot to the floor, guns a-blazing, take the world by storm kind of disposition. To be mild is to be content with what God has given you. To be mild is to let others speak. Let others step ahead of you.

 

Putting on the new clothes of Christ means being patient. It means to be long-suffering, to leave vengeance to the Lord alone and entrust judgment to Him. Stress is defined as the confusion caused when one’s mind overrides the body’s basic need to strangle some idiot who desperately needs it. Putting on the new clothes of Christ Jesus means we should have less stress in our lives and more peace in our hearts because we know our lives and our times are in the Lord’s capable hands. Come what may we trust the Lord.

 

As the new year approaches there are fears about war, the direction this country may be heading, and personal concerns about health, finance, career, etc. Do yourself a favor, take off the old clothing of worry, for worry is rooted in our desire to control outcomes in life. Let go of the desire for control. Instead put it in the Lord’s hands and enjoy peace and assurance in the new year.

 

Let go of old hurts and forgive. Easier said than done, but with God all things are possible. God has gifted us with new clothes. Just like any new gift, we need time to learn how to use it. Read the instructions (Bible), try it out (practice love, practice mercy, compassion, patience, and gentleness) and in time you will find comfort in your new clothes.

 

Paul summed up his thoughts about the new clothing.

 

Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. (Col 3:14)

 

Love is the thread that sews together our new clothes at the seams. Love is what holds us together.

 

Get rid of the old ways. Throw them out with the trash. Put on your new clothes, life in Christ. His love will hold you together as you learn to walk in Him.