Sermon: A Portrait Of The Glorious Community Of Faith (Colossians 3:12-17) -- By: Lee Tankersley

Journal: Southern Baptist Journal of Theology
Volume: SBJT 17:3 (Fall 2013)
Article: Sermon: A Portrait Of The Glorious Community Of Faith (Colossians 3:12-17)
Author: Lee Tankersley


Sermon: A Portrait Of The Glorious Community Of Faith (Colossians 3:12-17)1

Lee Tankersley

Lee Tankersley received his Ph.D. from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Dr. Tankersley is Pastor of Cornerstone Community Church in Jackson, Tennessee and has written a number of articles for Southern Baptist Journal of Theology.

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 (Col 3:12-17, ESV).

What comes to mind when you think of the church? It is no doubt the case that mentioning the idea of the church to individuals can bring about diverse reactions. For some, to speak of the church is a reminder of something gone wrong. Whether it was a pastor who sinned grievously in some manner, a person who gossiped or slandered, or poor stewardship of money entrusted to the church, there is some reason why mentioning the church to some people is like pulling a scab off a wound. Something happened that left them thinking they would never be part of the church again.

On the other hand, for others, the mention of church is a reminder of something they are committed to but, sadly, it brings them no joy. After all, the meeting of the church together each Sunday often gets in the way of certain sporting events or other leisure activities, causing them to lose a crucial day in the weekend. Yet, for some reason these individuals are committed either out of duty or some kind of obligation. For the most part, they gather with believers on Sundays, are pretty regular in their attendance, maybe even sacrificially give of their resources, but yet the thought of the church does not elicit great joy. It’s like brushing one’s teeth—a necessary thing to which most are committed yet few (if any) get excited about.

Still yet, for others, the mention of the church is like telling your dog that he’s about to get a treat. It’s a remind...

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