The Church We Want to Be | Colossians 3:11-17

Good morning, Watermark. How are we doing today? Good to see you. Happy Sunday. I hope you're having a great weekend. If this is your first time ever with us at Watermark, thanks for trusting us with your morning. I hope this place feels like home very quickly. Every single Sunday, I give you an opportunity to start by praying before we open up God's Word. It's an opportunity for you to pray and to ask God to speak clearly to you.

I really believe God is here and that he wants to speak to your heart today. So, would you take a moment and pray? Just say, "God, would you speak clearly to me this morning." Then would you pray for the people around you and say, "God, speak clearly to them as well." Then would you pray for me and ask God to speak clearly through me to you.

Lord, I thank you that you've given us your Spirit and your Spirit leads and guides us into all truth. Thank you that we have your Word. I pray you'd give us eyes to see you, ears to hear you, and hearts to receive all you want to share with us today. We love you. In Jesus' name, amen.

I will never forget my 10-year high school reunion, which happened all the way back in 2009, but I still remember it. There are two reasons I'll never forget it. The first one is that no one recognized me when I went, which was a little hurtful. When you walk up to someone, excited to see them, and then they glance at your name tag, it's always a little defeating.

That was the first reason…no one recognized me. The second reason I'll never forget it is my wife Kat and I walked up to talk to this girl Judy. Judy, if you're here this morning or listening, how are you? It has been since that reunion. I haven't seen you since then. I hope you're doing well. Kat and I walked up to Judy, and I'll never forget this, because Judy looked at me, and she was like, "You're, like, hot now." That's what she said.

On one hand I was like, "Thank you," but then on the other hand I was like, "Let's talk about the word now, because that one stung, Judy." Apparently, Judy and others just weren't that into this. Why are you laughing? You're just like them! If you look really closely on that right hand, that is a James Avery ichthus ring. James Avery jewelry hit different back then. All right?

So that was that. Apparently, Judy felt like some helpful changes were made in the looks department. Some changes had, in fact, been made. In high school I wore my hair kind of across my forehead; now it was up in the air. In high school I wore these tapered jeans with sandals, and now I don't. If you're wearing tapered jeans with sandals this morning, that's fine. Just stay away from Judy. But some helpful changes had been made.

The reason I'm even telling you this is, if you think about it, next weekend here at Watermark we're celebrating our twenty-fifth anniversary. If you're a member here at Watermark and you're not planning on coming, my question to you is, "Why?" This is your church family. We are coming together to celebrate 25 years of God's faithfulness. So, my encouragement to you is get registered, get a ticket, and come next Saturday, and let's celebrate the goodness of God here at Watermark.

As you think about next weekend, I want you to not think about it right now as the twenty-fifth anniversary. Think about it as our 25-year reunion. I just wonder if right before our 25-year reunion we need to look in the mirror and make sure we look how Christ would have us look as a church. I think it's good for us to evaluate. Is there anything about us that would cause people to have no interest in making Watermark Community Church their home?

What I'm really driving at… Is there anything in our lives that is out of place, doesn't make sense, or is unattractive when you think about putting Christ's name on this church? The question I want us to wrestle with today is…Are we, the people of Watermark Community Church, a compelling community of Christians or are we a repelling community of Christians? Are people drawn to Christ through us or are they turned off from Christ because of us?

I'm bringing this up, because as we step back into Colossians, chapter 3, the apostle Paul is going to paint the picture of what a truly attractive church looks like, what a compelling community of Christians looks like, what a winsome people can be. This weekend we had family in town, and I was talking with some of them about how people are deconstructing in their faith and abandoning the church altogether, leaving the church in general with all sorts of hurt.

My question for us is…Is that happening here at all? Would people leave Watermark Community Church, not for another church but just to leave the church and abandon the faith, because there are things here that are so ugly and so un-Christlike that no one should want to be a part of it? So, that's what we're going to do. If you have a Bible, I want to invite you to turn with me to Colossians, chapter 3, as the apostle Paul unpacks what church should truly be.

The way this is going to work is as we read the passage, I'm going to give you questions to ask yourself to evaluate on the individual level, but as you evaluate on the individual level, it's going to have implications at the collective or corporate level. If we want this place to be a compelling community, it has to start with you individually. It has to start with me individually. So, here's what Paul says in Colossians, chapter 3, starting in verse 11.

"Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 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. 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."

The first question I want to invite you to answer is…What are you dividing over that doesn't make sense? Why am I asking this question? It's because of what Paul just said in verse 11. He says, "Here…" That's in Christ. "Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all."

The reason Paul is saying this is in the first century there were all sorts of divisions in society. There was racial division, so there was Jew and Gentile. That doubled as a religious division, which was the circumcised and the uncircumcised. Circumcision was a sign that you belonged to the people of God, so there were basically the people of God and then there were the pagans. That was a divide.

There were also cultural divides. There were Greeks and there were barbarians, which was civilized versus uncivilized, those whose language was Greek and those whose language wasn't Greek. Then there were social divides between those who were slaves and those who were free. Paul talks about all of those different divisions, and he says, "Here…" Where's here? Here is in Christ. "…those divisions die."

You have to understand Paul is living under the assumption that you already get what he has unpacked in the rest of the book. Paul would never fathom you just picking up Colossians 3:11 and reading it without understanding everything else he has talked about before then. When he says, "Here," he's assuming you understand that Jesus Christ is the Supreme One over all creation. He's preeminent, which means he takes first place in creation and first place in our hearts.

Jesus Christ didn't just leave heaven, come to earth, and die on a cross to save us from our sins; he came to save us into union with him. We have died with Christ. We have been buried with Christ. We have been raised with Christ. We have been seated with Christ in the heavenly realms. We have been hidden with Christ, and we will appear with Christ one day in glory.

That's what it means to be a Christian. That's what Christ has accomplished for us. That is incredible news. That good news of being united with Christ speaks to the forgiveness we have in Christ, the new life we have in Christ, the new power we have in us with the presence of the Holy Spirit, our new identity as sons and daughters of God. It speaks to the new mission we have and the new hope we have in Christ. Paul is like, "Here, in Christ, those divisions come to die."

Think about it this way. I have the tubs here again. If you didn't get it the first three times, you have a fourth time now. I'm just going to warn you. This could be the last Sunday. I'm not promising it. This might be the last Sunday for the tubs. If you've missed the tubs, let me remind you. What we've said is you've got you, and when you put your trust in Christ, Christ comes to live in you by the presence of his Spirit.

That's incredible news, but it's not just that Christ is in you; the reality is that you are in Christ. But you have to understand Christ hasn't just saved you into union with him individually. You have brothers and sisters in the faith, and the same is true for them. Christ is in them, and they also are in Christ with you, and we all collectively are hidden with Christ in God. I put the lids on because it's final. This is reality. This is not just your reality but our reality as the people of God, the family of God. This is us.

So, think about what this means. The thing we have in common the most is Christ. The truest thing about you is that you're in Christ and Christ is in you. The truest thing about us collectively is that we are in Christ and Christ is in us. That means the thing we have most in common is far greater than anything we could ever divide on. Christ is our common bond, so much so that we should think of ourselves as the formation of a new humanity.

That's what Christ is doing. He is forming a new humanity in himself. This new humanity can reflect God's beauty through different ethnicities, skin color, languages, passions, secondary convictions, talents, and styles, but the thing that brings us all together is we are in Christ and Christ is in us. So here there is neither Jew nor Greek nor slave nor free. Christ has created a new humanity.

Last week, John Piper talked about slaves. This is so radical, because in the first century, a slave was not considered a person but a piece of property, but the gospel is so radical it takes those who are slaves, considered property, and makes slaves brothers and sisters in Christ with those who are considered masters. That is radical, but not just that. The gospel is so radical… Commentator and scholar F.F. Bruce helped me see this. It's beautiful.

The point he made is that slaves and masters could go to church together in Colossae. They could worship together. They could show love toward one another. The gospel is so radical that if a slave was experiencing more growth and showing more spiritual maturity and leadership gifting, then they might find themselves in a leadership position in the church where a master would joyfully submit to their leadership. Why? Because the gospel is that transformative. It is that significant. It changes who we are.

This is made possible because of what Paul says at the end of verse 11. He says, "…Christ is all, and in all." It's possible because Christ is all. It means Christ is Lord. Our allegiance to Christ trumps all other allegiances. Identification with Christ supersedes any other identification. But it's not just that Christ is all; it's that Christ is in all. The thing we have in common is that Christ is in us and we are in Christ; therefore, having Christ in common means anything we could have is far greater than any difference we could have.

So, here's what I want to ask you. I want to ask you to be honest with yourself right now. Is there any brother or sister in Christ who you see first and foremost by the way they are different than you? Just think about that, because we're talking about becoming a compelling community. We need to root out anything that might be divisive or ugly within us. The question I'm asking is…What are you dividing over that doesn't make sense?

If this is our reality, what divisions don't make sense? Is there anyone in this church who you see first and foremost for the way they are different than you? "Well, he's a Democrat." "He's a Republican." "She's from the Park Cities." "He's Hispanic." "She's one of those charismatics…I mean, charis-maniacs." "He's an Aggie." "She's one of those die-hard homeschoolers." See, these are real things that many Christians allow to divide.

Do you want to know what makes for a compelling community? It's when people who are radically different than one another show radical love because of the radical gospel they have in common. That's a compelling community: when people who are radically different can radically love because of a radical gospel.

So, this is what I want to invite you to process when it comes to interacting with one another, especially those who are least like you but are brothers and sisters in Christ. When you interact with someone, you should interact with them as if you are Christ to them and they are Christ to you. Do you hear what I'm saying?

You should interact with them as if you are Christ and they are Christ, which means when you're talking to someone who is least like you, you should at least evaluate, "How would Christ be treating this person right now?" Would you talk differently if you found out this person was, in fact, Christ? Would you do things differently if you found out that what you just did to that person you actually did to Christ?

The second question I want to invite you to ask today is…Where is Christlike character missing from your life? Paul says in verse 12, "Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience…" He says, "Put on." You have to reach back and remember two weeks ago when we identified the fact that Paul is using language in the Greek that refers to taking off and putting on clothes.

Paul is like, "Look. You want to wear designer clothing." Not the designer clothing you're thinking of. I'm talking about God the designer. You want his clothes. You want to be clothed with Christ. Watch what he says. "Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved…" Each of these were titles God used in reference to the nation of Israel in the Old Testament, and each one of these titles was used of Jesus in the Gospels. Now each of these titles is being placed on us.

What's the point? We are God's chosen people. So, just as in the Old Testament God called the nation of Israel out, you as a Christian have been called out. Just as God set the nation of Israel apart to be different from the nations, you have been called out by God to be different than the rest of the world. You are different because you are in Christ and Christ is in you.

So, because we're in Christ and Christ is in us, we should put on Christ. We should wear Christ. That's why Paul says, "Put on compassionate hearts." In the Greek, that literally means bowels of compassion. It's a deep, Jesus-like sensitivity and an understanding sympathy to the needs and sorrows of others.

We have some friends who live in Florida who were devastated by the two hurricanes that rolled through there. I'm on this text group of guys who were filled with compassionate hearts. A couple of guys jumped in a truck and drove it to Florida because they needed a car. Their cars were totaled. So they drove a truck out to them and then sat there and worked on their house.

Then another two guys, just last weekend, hopped on a plane to go out there to help them begin to put life back together. Another guy is about to hop on a plane in the next couple of weeks to go out there. Why? Because their hearts are full of compassion, because they see the needs and the sorrows of a brother and sister in Christ.

We're to put on kindness. Kindness is just goodness in action. It's being helpful and beneficial and generous toward others, especially those who don't deserve it. That's kindness. Humility is having a realistic view of yourself. You're not puffed up and arrogant. You're also not self-deprecating. You're willing to consider others more important than yourself. You're willing to forego your own rights. You don't always have to get your way.

That's what I love about my friend John Cox, whom I work with on staff. If you know John, then you know he has degrees from places that you probably don't have degrees. Very sharp dude. He's one of the most high-capacity, strategic thinkers I've ever met. Yet what you see with John as you sit in meetings where decisions have to be made is he is okay not getting his way. One of my favorite things John says is, "Hey, I serve at the pleasure of the King, so it's okay if I don't get my way." That's humility.

Then Paul says, "Clothe yourself with gentleness," or meekness. If you're tuned out, I need you to tune in on this one. One pastor explained it as strength under submission. You think about how a horse is strong and powerful in battle, but it's submitted to the warrior who rides it. To be gentle is to be strong but submitted to the Lord. So, in times of conflict you can be strong and honest and truthful, but you can also be honoring and respectful to bring about healing and peace.

This is where I need you to tune in, because I want to ask you to evaluate if I'm talking to you right now. What I have noticed is that some people will excuse a lack of Christlikeness as just having a strong personality or being courageous or being direct, but there's no gentleness in them. That rationalization is like putting lipstick on a pig. Gentleness isn't weakness; it's godliness. It's strength under submission.

So, if you're one of those people who's like, "Well, I'm just a direct person; I'm just a strong personality," but there's no gentleness in you, that's actually showing that you're not a strong person; you're a weak person, because you aren't living submitted to Christ's leadership in your life on a moment-by-moment basis. Where it shows the weakness is in your inability to surrender to the self-control that is a fruit of the Spirit in your life along with the fruit of the Spirit of gentleness.

Then he says patience. Patience means long-tempered. It's the opposite of having a short fuse. It's putting up with someone who irritates. You know how we will rationalize impatience? We'll get agitated easily, and then, as we get heated in conversation quickly, we'll say, "You know what? I'm just a passionate person. It's just who I am. I'm just a passionate person." Nope. You're lacking the Spirit's fruit of patience. You're lacking a submission to the Lord in that area of your life, and you're explaining it away.

You can dress it up however you'd like, but communication without gentleness or patience is sin. Period. Friday night, this is what this looked like for me. We had family in town, and we got into a lively discussion about a theological topic. It was late on Friday night. So, I got into this conversation, a lively discussion with some family. They and Kat were sitting on the couches, and I was standing. I was standing in my living room, talking with my hands.

I was not yelling by any means, but I was talking very passionately. Kat looked at me and was like, "It seems like you're angry." You know what I could have done? I could have been like, "Yeah. I'm just a passionate person. I mean, look. We're talking about the Bible. I'm just standing up for what I believe to be true." No, it was sin, because I was speaking without gentleness or patience.

They had already gone into their room for the night, so I texted them and said, "Guys, will you please forgive me? I was not practicing what I was going to preach on Sunday." I was like, "God, that's so funny how you work. I get it." I just told them in the text, and then I apologized in person the next morning. I said, "Look. I was not patient, and I was not gentle, and I was not being led by the Spirit." Because when there's no gentleness or patience, it's sin.

We did this a couple of weeks ago. I want to invite you to do it right now. I don't want to wait until the end. I want to invite you to pray right now. Here's what I want you to ask him. "Jesus, where am I deficient in your character? Where is there a lack of a compassionate heart, kindness, humility, gentleness, or patience?" Then ask him, "Jesus, what are you asking of me?"

Lord Jesus, would you have your way in our lives? Amen.

Now, some of you guys just heard that explanation of those five, and you're like, "Yeah, I'd say I'm crushing it. Check. Check. Check. Check." Hey, man, good for you. That's great. You're like, "Man, I feel like when I walk in the room people are like, 'Is that Jesus? Oh, no, it's just Jim. My bad.'" Okay. That's fine. I'm proud of you. In the next verse, Paul just wants to make sure, though, so he's going to dial in.

If you feel like you're crushing the entire list of Christlike characteristics, that's great. Just make sure, though, that they're playing out in your life. This is what it looks like when those five things are active in your life. Verse 13: "…bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive."

The question I'm really asking you now is…Are you the problem or the problem solver? We just need to get some clarity, make sure all of these qualities are present in our lives, that we're clothing ourselves with Christ. Are you the problem or the problem solver? This is so convicting. Paul says, "Hey, look. You know what a compelling community does? A compelling community bears with one another."

If you really understand that you're in Christ together, then you're going to bear with one another. Do you know what it means to bear with someone? Listen to this. To bear with someone is to restrain your natural reaction toward the most difficult aspects of someone else. How are you doing with bearing with other people, restraining your natural reaction toward the most difficult aspects of people? Like, you allow them to be themselves.

So just evaluate. Is there anyone in your family right now who you struggle to bear with? Is there anyone in this church you struggle to bear with? No elbows right now. Don't be like, "Yeah, I struggle bearing with you. Jesus loves you." Do you know what the great thing is? Look back at the wording. It says, "…bearing with one another…" It means you're going to have to bear with other people, but other people are going to have to bear with you. You're like, "I don't have any issues." That's your issue. "I'm not a difficult person." That's what makes you difficult.

Have you ever thought of yourself in that way, that people are having to bear with you? People totally have to bear with me. I mean, my wife has to bear with me all the time. At times, I can be a moody person. This'll tell you something. Years ago, it was my birthday, and I went to lunch with the staff I was leading. One of my good friends, JD… He was young at the time, and he was like, "I've got a great idea. Let's go around the table and all say one word that describes TA." I was like, "Okay." He was like, "I'll go first. My word is particular."

I was like, "Okay. Let's pray and get out of here. This is not a helpful exercise. Is this an intervention on my birthday? What's happening right now?" He was like, "Particular in a good way." I was like, "There is no good way of dressing up particular." But now I'm like, "I'm totally particular." I am totally a particular person. I want certain things to be one way, and I don't like it when they're another way. I get it. I'm a particular person, and some people just have to bear with that. I can laugh about it. I am not perfect. It's good for me to understand that. Do you see that in you?

A compelling community realizes you're going to have to bear with others and others are going to have to bear with you. But it's not just bearing with one another. When you have a compassionate heart, and when you're clothed in humility, kindness, gentleness, and patience, you're also going to forgive. Forgiveness is the mark of a Christian community. Why? Paul tells us. Because our lives are defined by Christ's forgiveness toward us. Christ came, Christ died, and Christ rose so we could be forgiven of all of our sin.

So, let's stop and think really quickly. Let's allow ourselves to grow in gratitude toward all that Christ forgave. Just think. Through Christ's death, burial, and resurrection, all of your lustful thoughts have been forgiven. You're like, "You're going to start with lustful thoughts? It feels like you could have started more severe." Yeah, but I just want you to think of all of the lustful thoughts you've had in your life. According to Scripture, lust in God's economy is adultery.

In our perspective, we're like, "Well, it's just thoughts." In the perspective of a holy, holy, holy God, it's wicked, it's evil, it's offensive, and it has all been forgiven because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Think about every single lie you have spoken, anytime your lips have uttered something that isn't true. You're like, "Well, everyone tells a white lie." Yeah, but the Scriptures are clear. These are the exact words of Proverbs: God hates lying lips.

For a God who is truth, who embodies truth, lying is wicked. It's forgiven. Every moment of pride that prompted you to brag, to think you're better than others… Scripture is clear. God despises the proud. It's forgiven because of Christ. Every careless or hurtful word that has come from your mouth… Through faith in Jesus, through repentance and faith, it has been forgiven.

Why am I talking about this? I'm talking about this because we're called to forgive one another. You will never have to forgive someone more than God has had to forgive you. Do you realize that? You'll never have to forgive someone more than God has had to forgive you. Because God has forgiven us, we are called to forgive others.

Let me invite you right now to participate with me and repeat after me. I want everyone to say, "Will you please forgive me?" Then I want you to say, "I forgive you." Some of y'all hate this. You're like, "Nope." Hey, I forgive you. It's fine. I just want everyone to say, "Will you please forgive me?" Yeah. Then say, "I forgive you." Look. If those words never come out of your mouth… They should come out of your mouth regularly, and if they don't, I guarantee you you're a problem, not a problem solver.

So, you might need to evaluate right now. Is there anyone whose forgiveness you need to seek out? Is there anyone in your life you need to extend forgiveness to? That's what makes for a compelling community: when people deeply hurt one another and then deeply forgive one another. We don't have to abandon relationship with one another. We don't have to ghost one another. We don't have to give up on one another. We can actually move toward one another. We can forgive and move forward.

Skip down to verse 15, because I think it goes with this. Paul says in verse 15, "And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful." If we read that verse in isolation, we think Paul is saying, "Hey, let Christ's peace reign in your heart when you're feeling anxious." Like, "Don't stress." But that's really not what Paul is talking about.

He's talking in the context of the community of believers in Colossae, and his point is Christ has come, Christ has died and risen from the grave to reconcile you to God, to make peace between you and God. Because of Jesus, you who were an enemy of God have become a child of God. There's relational peace with God. Paul's point is that peace you have with God should spill over into your relationships with one another.

The reconciliation you have experienced with God should flow into your relationships with other people, and it should rule. That word rule in the Greek is the idea of an umpire calling the shots. It's like calling balls or strikes. When you're in conflict with one another, you look to the cross to determine how you act. You understand that the peace that has been purchased for you through Christ is supposed to have an impact on the way you move forward in conflict.

Let me explain what this has looked like in my life. Look, people. In my job, I love to say that I have the privilege of disappointing people every single Sunday. I have the privilege of disappointing people right now, and some people delight to share with me their disappointment. I'm okay with that. I signed up for that. That's part of the job.

Luke 6:26: "Beware when all men speak well of you." There are times where I get rough emails, and I want to learn from those, but I'm also glad to get them sometimes because it reminds me that I'm on the right track, because "Beware when all men speak well of you." If I'm not getting any heat, that's a problem.

I remember not too long ago getting a message from someone. When I was driving home, it started rattling around in my mind. As it was rattling around in my mind, I started hypothetically responding to that email in my mind. Do you ever do that? Those hypothetical responses. Now, some of them were good. Some of my responses were just truthful. Like, "Hey, I just want to share with you what is true." But some of it had an impure motive. It was to Jesus-juke them, to shame them.

I was driving to a restaurant to pick up dinner before driving home, and as this was rattling around in my mind, I found myself, on that drive down Coit and then to Belt Line, feeling exhausted physically. Then I started getting irritated by how long it was taking me to get to the restaurant. I found myself irritated by traffic even though I chose to drive at 5:30.

So, I'm irritated by the traffic, and then I start thinking… We're picking up dinner, and I know it's going to cost more than I want to pay, so now I'm irritated about the food I'm about to buy that I haven't even purchased yet, but it's bothering me. I'm irritated. Do you know what that is? All of it was springing from those thoughts rattling around in my mind. Do you know what the problem was? The peace of Christ wasn't calling the shots.

I was trying to solve an equation on my own. There was something in me that wanted to be right, wanted me to be justified. Thankfully, I hadn't responded yet, and I hadn't seen anyone else. Just me and my car. So then I went into the restaurant. The first guy I interacted with was the person who gave me my food. Then, as I was walking out to my car, I was literally like, "God, I need your help right now." My responsibility is to respond in a way that is directed by the peace I have with God. It's supposed to call the shot.

I tell you that just to say beware of needing to win. Beware of needing to be right. Beware of needing to prove someone wrong. Beware of letting your mind run away with hypothetical responses without inviting God in. Beware of tossing and turning in bed on your anger without surrendering it to God, and beware of impulsive keyboard courage.

You might be like, "Let me just send this off really quickly." You might feel good in the moment. Just wait until the morning after. Wait a week or two and see what happens. The best thing for you to do is to let the peace of Christ rule. That's why Paul says in Romans 12:18, "If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all." Christ is our example.

I want you to think of the great lengths Christ went to to purchase your peace with God. The eternal Son of God left heaven and was born in a manger to a teenage virgin. He then lived a perfect life. He then was crucified like a criminal when he deserved to be worshiped as a king, and then he had to conquer the grave in order for you to have peace with God.

I tell you that just to say the lengths we go to with one another to be at peace should basically make no sense to a watching world. It makes no sense what Christ did for us. It should make no sense the lengths we go to to be at peace with one another, but that's what happens when you respond to God instead of reacting to the person. We can't lose sight of the fact that what unites us is far greater than what could ever divide us.

Next question is…Are you known for love? Verse 14: "And above all these put on love…" That's pretty clear. "…which binds everything together in perfect harmony." Just think. Are you known for love? What are you known for most? What do you want to be known for most? "I want people to know I'm a strategic thinker. I'm high capacity. I make moves." That's great. Are you known for love? "I'm a strong man." Great. Are you known for love? "I'm developing men." Great. Are you known for love?

According to Paul, that's what you should put on most. It's like an outer garment in the Greek, which binds everything together. The compassionate heart, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience… All of those things are nothing without love. You might say, "Well, I speak the truth to people. That's what makes me loving. I just tell them the truth no matter what." That's great. An aspect of being loving is being willing to tell people the hard truth, but there's a difference between what you say and how you say it. If you say loving truth in an unloving way, that is sin.

Next question is…Do you treasure God's Word? If we want to be a compelling community, it takes thousands of people here at Watermark treasuring God's Word. Paul says, "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."

Think about what that's saying. "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…" That's impossible if you don't read the Word. The Word of Christ is to dwell in your heart richly. What's the Word of Christ? It's all of the teaching about Jesus. We now know that to be the entire Bible, because from Genesis to Revelation, the Bible is about Jesus. But it can't dwell in your heart richly if you don't read it.

Paul says, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom…" Paul's goal is that our relationships with one another would be filled with the Scriptures. If you ever meet as a Community Group and you go the entire meeting without cracking your Bible or referencing Scripture, you're doing it wrong. You've missed the point of community. Here at Watermark, we want to counsel biblically, which means you have to read the Word, but you also have to understand the Word so you can speak the Word.

"…teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God." There's this joy that comes from knowing the truth of God's Word, but in order for you to be filled with joy to the point of singing to one another, you don't just need to read the Word, you don't just need to understand the Word; you have to believe the Word. You have to believe it to the point that it actually begins to get fleshed out in your life and, by the power of the Spirit, you begin to experience change.

Here at Watermark, we are all about the Word. We have said we are a Bible-revering church. I just want to let you in behind the curtain on something I'm really excited about that we've been working on for almost a year. We are calling 2025 the Year of the Word. Now, every year and every day is the day or the year of the Word, but we're just saying 2025…

It's the twentieth anniversary of Join the Journey, our Bible reading plan, so in 2025 our goal is for every member at Watermark to journey through the entire Bible together. Every ministry on our campus is all pointed in the same direction to play their part in helping us, as members, not only read the Bible all the way through but understand it, enjoy it, believe it, and live it.

So many people go their entire lives without ever reading the Bible from cover to cover. That's not going to be your story, because in 2025 we're going to journey through the entire Bible together, and the goal is that by the end of 2025, every member would be able to say, "I've never understood the Bible better than I do now, I've never enjoyed the Bible more than I do now, and I've never lived out the Scriptures more than I am right now." We want the Word of Christ to dwell in us richly.

The last question is…Is Jesus calling every shot in your life? Verse 17: "And whatever you do…" That's pretty clarifying. "And whatever you do, in word or deed…" His point is it's all-encompassing…every single word that comes out of your mouth, every thought you think, every step you take, every aspect of life. "…do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

What does it mean to do something in the name of the Lord Jesus? It means that in every single thing you do, you are clear that you are representing Jesus and are being empowered by Jesus to do it. So, do you see what Paul is saying? He's saying, "Look. Jesus needs to call every single step, every single word. He's got to call the shots, because in every single thing you do, you are representing Jesus. His name is attached to every single thing you do. The good news is he's the one who provides the power for you to do it."

Last weekend, my 15-year-old and I had the opportunity to go to College Station for the A&M/LSU game. It was an awesome experience for us, but when we were leaving the game, we were walking down the ramp of the stadium, and there were some LSU fans who were walking in front of us, and there was this Aggie student who was just badgering them. He was walking up close behind them, clapping. He was saying things. He was just trying to drive home a point.

It grated on me so much. When I saw that, the thought I thought was, "That's not who we are." I took offense to it as an Aggie. I was like, "That's not who we are." Right now I'm just talking about a school affiliation. Paul is talking about Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. There has to be something in us…

The hope is that with any word or any speech Jesus is attached to, there would be something in us, that when we take a misstep or when we sin with our speech, something would fire off inside of us, like, "That's not who you are. That's not who he is." When we're in our Community Groups and we see people taking missteps, that we lovingly, gently, but clearly say, "Look. That's not who you are. That's not who he is." He has to call every single shot.

I want to invite you right now to think about what step God is inviting you to take right now. If you're here and you're thinking, "I didn't get anything out of that today," I want to invite you to ask Jesus what you are missing. We all have things to repent from. If you need to seek forgiveness from someone, I'd encourage you to process what that's going to look like.

Maybe you're here today, and you don't have a relationship with Jesus Christ. You just heard a message about putting on Jesus, but maybe you need to realize that Jesus Christ put on your sin. He put your sin on him, all of the ways you have lived offensively toward God. He took the punishment so you wouldn't have to. He rose from the dead as a display that his payment for your sin was accepted by God. Would you put your faith in him today? Would you say, "Yes" to Jesus today? You need him, and he loves you.

Thank you, God. Would you have your way in our church? I pray we would be a compelling community. If there's anything ugly within us, Lord, would you root it out? Would you make us more like you? We need you. We love you. In Jesus' name, amen.