“Gratefulness in Service” 11-13-22
Overview
Gratefulness in Service
"And what do you say?" That familiar parental prompt, given when a child forgets to thank a gift-giver, raises a pointed question for believers: Does God speak to us this way? Does He stand over us, arms folded, waiting for thanks that lags behind like a Christmas thank-you note we keep putting off until Valentine's Day? Paul's words in Colossians 3:14-17 answer with a resounding no.
In Colossians 3, Paul calls believers to clothe themselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, and forgiveness—and above all, with love, the belt that binds these virtues together in perfect harmony. He then bids the peace of Christ rule in our hearts. This is the peace purchased at the cross and sealed by the empty tomb, the peace by which "God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things… by making peace through the blood of his cross" Colossians 1:20. Peace with God vertically becomes peace expressed horizontally in the one body, the church. And then comes the simple imperative: "be thankful."
Scripture consistently links gratitude with service—"through love become slaves to one another" Galatians 5:13; "render service with enthusiasm, as to the Lord" Ephesians 6:7; "serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received" 1 Peter 4:10; "worship the Lord your God, and serve only him" Matthew 4:10. But the order matters. When the forgiven woman wept at Jesus' feet and anointed Him with ointment, Jesus declared, "Her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love… your faith has saved you; go in peace" Luke 7:47-50. Her actions were not the basis of her forgiveness; they were the overflow of it. Worship, gratitude, action—in that order.
Notice how Paul follows "be thankful" not with a demand for payment but with the gift of worship: "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly… with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God" Colossians 3:16. In worship we receive again the gospel of reconciliation, and gratitude is born anew. Only then comes 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." Grateful service is not born of obligation, of "have to" or "ought to." It is the natural overflow of hearts lavished with grace—a "get to" that we cannot help. God Himself writes the thank-you note in our lives. What do you say to that?
Transcript
What you open up your Bibles, please, to Colossians III chapter. 2s
If you're using a few additional Holy Scripture, you're going to find that on page 178 in 8s
the New Testament. 13s
Colossians III chapter for our study this morning. 15s
Have you ever heard the question, I'm sure you've used it, we all have. 20s
And what do you say? 25s
And what do you say? 28s
That's that reminder, isn't it? 32s
Slash, perhaps, admonishment. 35s
When a Thanksgiving doesn't come forward, when a gift is given. 38s
I think, for example, of the child who gets the gift on Christmas mourn, 44s
out of the stalking. 50s
And of course, there's all the projections of the greatness 51s
of the stalking gift. 54s
But then the reminder that there's a reason why it's in the stalking and not under the 56s
tree. 60s
There's a difference in the gift. 60s
And the child opens up the gift, perhaps having expectations of greatness and then 63s
is reminded, well, maybe this gift wasn't as great as I thought. 69s
It would be. 74s
And perhaps would the gift give her in the room, there is the expression. 76s
And what do you say? 82s
What do you say? 85s
Or the child that received the gift that they were so longing for and so excited about it. 88s
And they rip open that gift and wait to get inside that box and to play with that toy. 93s
They're so enamored with the gift that there is no Thanksgiving that is coming forward 101s
in the question that is asked, what do you say? 106s
What do you say? 113s
Does God ever ask that question of us? 117s
Does God ever say, can what do you say? 124s
We study today from the third chapter of Colossians and the third chapter here. 135s
Paul is exhorting the Christians at Colossae for the expression of their faith. 142s
So picking up in verse 14 of Colossians above all, close yourselves with love. 150s
Which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 160s
What's that? 168s
Everything here. 169s
The everything is revealed to us in verses 12 and 13. 171s
As God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, 176s
meekness and patience. 184s
Bear with one another. 186s
And if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other. 188s
Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 193s
Then he goes on above all, clothe yourselves with love which binds everything. 199s
Those virtues of verses 12 and 13, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 206s
The word binds there, the images of a belt holding together the clothing. 213s
So above all, it's love. 220s
It binds all of those other virtues together. 222s
He then goes on, verse 15. 227s
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts to which indeed you were called in the one body. 230s
What's the peace of Christ? 240s
It's the peace that is ours because of the cross and the empty tomb. 242s
It's the peace that comes because the Lord Jesus has shed His blood for our sin on the cross. 248s
It is the peace that is ours that comes because of God's actions, restoring the relationship that we had severed because of sin, 255s
redeeming us. 267s
Turn back, please, to chapter 1, verse 20 of Colossians, chapter 1, verse 20. 270s
Heerpool, writing out of the inspiration of the Spirit, says, and through Him being Jesus, 279s
through Him, God was pleased to reconcile to Himself all things, 286s
whether on earth or in heaven by making peace through the blood of His cross. 292s
And that peace that has been affected between God and humankind, 302s
that peace is to express itself in relationships. 308s
Back again, the verse 15, and let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts 313s
to which indeed you were called in the one body, what's the one body? 321s
That's the church. 329s
So that peace with God, that peace with God vertically, is to also express itself horizontally 332s
in our relationships with one another. 341s
Just as God has brought us into peace, then that peace is to manifest itself in our relationships. 345s
Love, it's the belt that holds what all of these virtues. 354s
He then moves into the peace of Christ, and that peace of Christ to permeate all of our relationships. 360s
And then at the end of verse 15, he says it. 369s
And be thankful, be thankful. 375s
Is that it? 387s
Is that it? 390s
Is that God saying to us? 392s
And what do you say? 399s
What do you say? 404s
It was really the dreaded part right after Christmas when I was a kid. 409s
Where you had to write the thank you notes. 418s
I procrastinated that year after year after year. 422s
New year's day would come and go January would fly by. 427s
February would be entered into. 434s
And it was when you would come to Valentine's Day in February. 436s
And the thank you note was still not written. 440s
It really, that was the demarcation line. 444s
The demarcation line from beginning with an apology, and then into the thank you. 447s
It was action, action, delayed. 455s
When it comes to when God says to us, be thankful. 463s
And is that God saying to us then so what do you say? 470s
The action then is it delayed in our lives to where? 477s
The writing of the thank you note to him? 485s
The verbalizing of the thank you to him. 491s
Does that then become obligation? 496s
Have to ought be thankful. 502s
What do you say? 514s
Why we see the linking of action and service throughout Scripture. 516s
In Galatians the 5th chapter, we read for you were called to freedom brothers and sisters. 521s
Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence. 527s
But through love become slaves to one another. 533s
Ephesians 6, render service with enthusiasm as to the Lord and not to men and women. 538s
First Peter 4, like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you. 547s
Has received Matthew 4. 557s
Jesus said to him away with you Satan, for it is written worship the Lord your God and serve only him. 561s
So is service the way that we write the thank you note to God? 571s
Is service linked then to the thank you? 576s
Does God turn to us and say, and what do you say? 581s
And that is linked then to us serving obligation, have to ought. 585s
Luke 7th chapter, a Pharisee invites Jesus to dinner. 609s
That's always an interesting recipe when that would happen. 616s
Jesus goes to dinner and takes his place and a woman comes in and she is crying in the presence of Jesus. 623s
The Bible says that her tears bathed the feet of the Lord Jesus. 629s
She has a jar of ointment and she puts the ointment on the feet of Jesus as she is weeping. 639s
The Pharisee who extended the invitation, Scripture says, he said to himself, 650s
if he were a prophet he would know what kind of woman this is. 656s
She was a prostitute. 666s
Jesus turns and says, her sins which were many have been forgiven. 671s
Hence she has shown great love. 678s
Her actions were not the basis of the forgiveness. 683s
It was not the basis of the forgiveness. 688s
It was a reflection of the fact that she was forgiven. 690s
Why Jesus says, according to the verse 50, your faith has saved you. 696s
Go in peace. 701s
The woman was led to worship the Lord. 704s
She falls down at the feet of the Lord. 707s
And then that worship expresses itself in action. 712s
Worship gratitude, expressing action. 720s
Look at verse 16, please. 727s
Right after God speaking through Paul says, and be thankful. 732s
Then notice what is revealed. 740s
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teach and admonish one another in all wisdom 743s
and with gratitude in your hearts, sing songs, hymns and spiritual songs to God. 750s
Right after the call to give thanks, there is the picture of worship. 759s
Because what happens in worship? 766s
In worship we receive the gospel. 768s
We receive the glorious news of what Jesus Christ has accomplished on the cross. 771s
We hear of the reconciliation and the peace that has been effected. 777s
And gratitude is born a new. 782s
The end of 15 and be thankful goes into 16, the gift of worship. 787s
The very thing gratitude to which God is calling, he births. 797s
And then that gratitude, he births in worship, it seeks into action. 806s
Look at the very next verse. 817s
Verse 17, and whatever you do in Word or deed do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, 819s
giving thanks to God the Father through Him. 830s
The call to give thanks, the birthing of thanks by God, 836s
and then that gratitude expressed in service. 841s
Beloved, God does not say to us. 849s
And what do you say? 857s
What do you say? 861s
No. 863s
He just keeps lavishing us with his gifts. 866s
And we are changed. 873s
Greatful service is not born of obligation. 881s
We just can't help ourselves. 889s
Greatful service is not born out of a half-tune. 896s
God brings forth a get-to. 905s
Greatful service is not born out of ought. 910s
It just is. 919s
And whatever you do in Word or deed do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, 926s
giving thanks to God the Father through Him. 935s
You see? 941s
God writes his own thank you note in our lives. 944s
He writes his own thank you note in our lives. 952s
Wow. 961s
What do you say to that? 968s