Everybody worships. If you've expressed thankfulness or joy or praise about something or someone, then you've engaged in worship. The sad reality of human life however is that much of the worship we engage in is ordinary and fleeting. What God brings to us, on the other hand, is a worship experience far greater, richer, and deeper than anything we could hope to find in our world. What God brings to us is himself. God and his glory is revealed to us when we believe in Jesus and he becomes king over our lives (cf Col 1:27). Since we were created to know God and worship him, it's no surprise then that when we experience God in Jesus we are instantly drawn towards grateful, joyful worship (cf 1 Peter 1:7-9; Jude 1:24-25).
If God's people, the church, are to worship in the fullest way, they must be a people who are full of Jesus. This means first of all that worship when the church gathers together must be Jesus- saturated. As Col 3:16 notes, this begins first with the word of Christ. The Bible, and in particular the main message of the Bible, namely what God has accomplished in and through Jesus, must be at the center of the church and especially at the center of our worship every time we meet. What we are talking about here is the gospel. Thus, this gospel of Jesus Christ must penetrate into every corner of the church community and into every part of its worship.
This saturation with the word of Christ should then affect the kind of teaching and admonishing that happens within the church. Every member has a responsibility to teach, challenge, and counsel other members. This should be done wisely, and wise teaching and admonishing can only happen if the first part of all this, namely having the word of Christ "dwelling richly" within the church, is happening.
Wise teaching and admonishing can occur in a lot of ways when the church gathers but the particular way that Paul promotes in Col 3:16 is through different types of music. The gospel of Jesus Christ frees God's people to sing every type of song possible that is able to wisely instruct and challenge. A truly Jesus-saturated community seeks to broaden, not lessen, the types of songs that are sung. Through such variety and diversity in our singing, God works to draw even more people into a deeper and more vibrant worship of himself.
Worship doesn't just happen however when the church is gathered together. In addition, worship happens when the church is "scattered." As much time as is spent in gathered meetings, much more time is spent with the church spread out all over in various neighborhoods and locations. Worship by the "scattered" church must also be Jesus saturated. As Col 3:17 emphasizes, everything we do - in speech or in action - is to be done in the name of Jesus, as a function of our grateful worship to God. Every part of our lives falls under his jurisdiction. We want his approval over all that we say and do. We submit to his influence over everything we say and do. We depend on his empowering Spirit for all that we say and do. Jesus is Lord over every situation and in every way, and because he is Lord, every part of life can and should be lived in grateful worship to God.
Reflect on the importance of having "the word of Christ dwell in you richly" (Col 3:16). Why is this so crucial to true Christian living and worship? Why do you think so often worship of God is seen or practiced in very narrow ways? How can we develop more of an ethos that sees and actively develops every part of life as worship of God through Jesus Christ?
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Reflect on the importance of having "the word of Christ dwell in you richly" (Col 3:16). Why is this so crucial to true Christian living and worship? Why do you think so often worship of God is seen or practiced in very narrow ways? How can we develop more of an ethos that sees and actively develops every part of life as worship of God through Jesus Christ?
I think there is a trinity type concept in this section / passage (three concepts that are so interrelated they cannot be sererated.
First, we are told to "put on love, which is the bond of perfection". Next, we are told to "let the peace of God rule in your hearts". Finally, it is to "let the word of Christ dwell in you richly". These three admonishments are all necessary to each other. I really cannot truely love and have peace if the word is not at work in me. If I do not have peace with my brothers and sisters, I will not have put on love. If I want the word to dwell in me, but I am unwilling to "put on love"; it won't work.
When these three become our central life ethos (individually and corporately), we will find new ways to express worship that glorifies God by how we are living our lives. When I sit with a brother who is hurting and cry with him and pray with him, that is worship. When I play a game or just listen to a child who is lonely or afraid, that is worship. When I invest time in a relationship with a non-believer to share the gospel with them, that is worship.
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