BOOK OF COLOSSIANSLet the Word of Christ Dwell in You Richly

Review of Colossians Series• 1st Week – Intro and the Supremacy of Christ• 2nd Week – Presenting Everyone Perfect• 3rd Week – Connecting with the Head, Christ• 4th Week – Setting Your Heart on Things Above: Authentic

Christian Living• Today – Let the Word of Christ Dwell In You Richly

Col. 3:15-17 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as

members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Three Implications About God’s Word1. God’s Word is Foundational2. God’s Word is to LIVE in Us3. God’s Word is Meant to Be Taught

1. God’s Word is FoundationalWhat IS the Word of God?John 1:1, 14 – 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the

Word was with God, and the Word was God…14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. [God; Jesus; grace and truth]

John 17:17 – Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. [truth]

Heb. 1:1-3 –  1 In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

Psa. 119:89 – Your word, O Lord, is eternal; it stands forever. [eternal as God]

1 Pet. 1:25 – But the word of the Lord stands forever. And this is the word that was preached to you. [eternal as God]

Some General Views of “Inspiration”:1.Word of God = divinely dictated or similar

a) In its original form and manuscriptsb) Perhaps in King James translationc) Inerrant and infallibled) Plenary inspiration = Bible is “full; complete; entire; absolute”

2.Words of God = divinely infused and guided3.Words from God = directed through the mouths and pens

of prophetic men4.Words generally motivated by godly experiences

• The WORD of God is the Essence and Truth of God himself.

• We see that Essence personified in Christ.• This essence and truth are expressed to us in the

WORDS from God—what we find in Scripture.• The Bible represents this expression of God—the truth of

God—in spiritual words.• 1 Cor. 2:13 – This is what we speak, not in words taught

us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.

Inspiration is three-fold: the Spirit leading one to speak God’s truth, others to recognize it AND the Spirit then leading others to accept and understand that truth.

1. The Message from a Prophet – 2 Pet. 1:20-21 – Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

2. The acceptance by original hearers and scribes—determining canonicity of particular texts.

3. The Reception by the “Inspired” Hearer – 1 Cor. 2:14 – The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

• So it’s not so simple as to imply that God simply dictated Scripture into the ears and/or minds of specific individuals, insuring that their every word or pen-stroke was exact, and then that everybody knew the person speaking or writing had received divinely dictated material.

• Our Bible is like everything else created by God—it came about organically through his forces, many mysteries simply hidden in the mind of God—some we can uncover and some we could not understand should he explain it to us.

• It’s like a baby—it comes through lofty appointment, passion, labor, and a certainly earthiness, but it yields something perfect in that for which it is created.

Jesus: Matt. 7:24-27 –  24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

• The foundation Jesus speaks of is not just looking on the outside like a Christian—both men built houses that looked alike, were in the same place, and were functional before storms hit.

• The foundation is NOT hearing and even “understanding” what Jesus says.

• The foundation IS hearing and practicing what Jesus said in the character applications of the Sermon on the Mount. Practicing the Word in our lives means to be LIKE God. HE IS the Word; Identifying with HIM is foundational to being truth and to his knowing us!

James 1:22-25 – Thus James says:  22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face [his identity; who he is] in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like [his identity and essence]. 25 But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does [in Scripture doing is being and being is doing].

1 John 2:3-6 –  3 We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands [all his doing commands are designed to transform us into what we should BE]. 4 The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him [he hasn’t “gotten it”]. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love [God IS love] is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did [identify with him; be like him; become like him; take on the essence of God, in whose image we were originally created].

2. God’s Word is to LIVE in Us16 Let the word of Christ dwell [live fully and freely] in

you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

Eph. 5:18-19 – Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord…

Heb. 4:12 – For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

John 15 – 1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

Eph. 6:17 – Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

• However knowing “Scripture” does not mean we have God’s Word in us or that we “see” God!

John 5 – 36 “I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the very work that the Father has given me to finish, and which I am doing, testifies that the Father has sent me. 37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, 38 nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. 39 You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

3. God’s Word is Meant to Be Taught16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach

and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

2 Tim. 4:2-3– Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

Matt 5:1 – Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them, saying…

• Jesus is called “teacher” 35 times in the NIV translation.• And, he is our model.• When we preach the gospel we teach.• When we share the Bible we teach.• In the way we live, we teach.• Our assemblies are to be teaching.

Conclusion1. God’s word must dwell/live in us2. God’s word must be taught/planted3. God’s word must be our foundation