Be An Encourager

Colossians 3:16-17 ESV

“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 word of Christ is his teachings, but it is the whole of the Scriptures, the Bible (Genesis to Revelation). For the Scriptures are God’s God-breathed words which he breathed into his prophets and apostles of old. But not all teachings apply to us, such as the Old Covenant liturgical, ceremonial, sacrificial, purification and dietary laws and restrictions, including the requirement for circumcision. But we are still under God’s moral laws.

And not every word spoken in the Scriptures is for us today, but it may be words spoken to specific people at a particular time that are not for us, the body of Christ. But we can still learn from those. But every word spoken to the body of Christ for her instruction in godliness and in holiness and in repentance and salvation and in obedience to God and in how we are to live as followers of Christ is also for our encouragement and for our instruction.

But to have the word of Christ dwell within us isn’t just about head knowledge, and it isn’t just about teaching what it says. But it is about the word of Christ becoming a part of our lives and being lived out in our daily lives in the power of God. It is about us living the word of Christ throughout our days on this earth, in practice, as guided by the Holy Spirit. It is about Christ’s word becoming a reality in our lives, not just on our lips.

But then we, the body of Christ, are to teach and to admonish one another with a strong encouragement that involves warning and cautioning one another away from what is sinful, and away from the lies to follow after the truth of God’s word. And we are to speak the truth in love to one another, and exhort one another daily so we are not taken captive by false doctrines and so we are not hardened by the deceitfulness of sin, etc.

And we are to speak to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs for our mutual encouragement in the Lord. So this is not about a song service where a praise band leads the congregation in singing. This is like me saying to you, “The Lord has put this song on my heart to share with you for your encouragement,” or “He has given me a song to write and I believe I am to share it with you for your encouragement.”

So, this is not about performing nor entertaining. And this is not about having to sound great or professional. This is about us sharing our hearts with one another and sharing the encouragement the Lord has given us, one for the other, whether in word or in song or even in a picture. For we are all to be ministering to one another. The pastor is not to be the “minister” while the people are the spectators. We all (each) are to have a part in ministry.

[Romans 12:1-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31; Galatians 6:1; Ephesians 4:1-16; Ephesians 5:15-21; Philippians 2:1-8; Colossians 3:16; Hebrews 3:13; Hebrews 10:23-25; James 5:19-20]

And “whatever we do, in word or deed,” needs to be in agreement with the Lord and with his divine character and will, and with the Scriptures, and not against the Scriptures. For the name of Jesus is not just a name. It is the character and divine will and purpose of our Lord. So this is encouraging us to make certain that our actions and our words are compatible with the character and the will of God and that they are not contradictory to our Lord.

Video Talk

https://youtu.be/HhkN0RIgpMQ 

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Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer 

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897

Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,

This is my constant longing and prayer;

Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,

Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,

Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,

Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,

Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,

Holy and harmless, patient and brave;

Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,

Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,

Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;

Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,

Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,

Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;

Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;

Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrYhiK2nQBg 

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