Sunday's Message - Rooted in Fellowship (Colossians 3:12 – 4:1)

In the series, Rooted in Christ: A Journey through Colossians, we're journeying through Paul's letter to the Colossians, discovering how to plant our lives firmly in Christ—the one who holds all things together. In seven services, we’ll explore how we might become rooted in his grace and love as we live our lives. We’ll cover the following:

• Rooted in Prayer (Colossians 1:1-14) - June 15
• Rooted in Peace (Colossians 1:15-23) - June 22
• Rooted in Service (Colossians 1:24–2:5) - July 6
• Rooted in Faith (Colossians 2:6-19) - July 13
• Rooted in Freedom (Colossians 2:20 – 3:11) - July 20
• Rooted in Fellowship (Colossians 3:12 – 4:1) - July 27
• Rooted in Witness (Colossians 4:2-18) - August 3

On Sunday, July 27, we continued the series by looking at Colossians 3:12 – 4:1 and discussed how we can be rooted in fellowship. Below is a video and text of the sermon. You can stream the service by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).  You can hear a podcast of the service at the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel or the Sligo Presbyterian Spotify Page.

Well, here we are, the last Sunday in the month of July. And I don’t know about y’all, but about this time every year, man, I start to get really sick of summer. But, of course, that wasn’t always the case. I mean, even though I’m not a guy who loves the heat, back in March, I was looking forward to some warm weather. And back in April, I was enjoying the trees leafing out. And back in May, man, there are few things better than the smell of mowed grass. I guess you could say I was sort of looking forward to summer, at least, back then. But now, I’ve got to cut that stupid grass every week. And those green leaves are just starting to look a little tired, at least to me. And as to the heat, well, let me just tell you, Hell is hotter, but less humid. And knowing that we’re looking down the barrel of August, man, that doesn’t make me feel any better.

But since, this morning, we’re tying up July, that also means we’re about to put a bow on this sermon series we started last month entitled Rooted in Christ: A Journey through Colossians. Now, as it says in the bulletin, during this time, we’ve journeyed through Paul’s letter to the Christians in Colossae. In other words, we’ve discovered how to plant our lives firmly in Christ, and we’ve explored how we might become rooted in his grace and love as we go about our living. Now, to this point, we’ve talked about how we might become rooted in prayer and peace, service and faith, and last week, we focused on freedom. And this morning, we’re going to continue our exploration by looking at how we, as Christians, might become more rooted in the kind of fellowship Paul envisioned when he wrote this letter. 

And you know, it’s kind of interesting, fellowship has played a pretty important role in the last couple of months at least, around the Rudiger house. As a matter of fact, it’s actually the reason that Debbie isn’t here this morning. You see, she and Maggie are in Indianapolis, visiting her family, while I’m here, babysitting the dog. Of course, just last month, we were back in my hometown, Norfolk, Virginia. But I’ll tell you, comparing Debbie’s family to mine is a little like comparing a wonderful and elaborate chocolate layer cake to a twinkie. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love my family. But when I’m in Norfolk, I’ll visit with my dad and my brother. And I’ll probably see my sister and one of my nieces, but that’s about it. But when Debbie goes Indy, good night nurse, along with her mother, there’ll be her sister and brothers, all kinds of nieces and nephews, and more family outings and gatherings and parties than you can shake a stick at. Man, it’s as though they all really enjoyed one another’s company. You see, while mine is, well, a family, Debbie’s is a real fellowship. 

And that’s what we’re going to be talking about this morning. You see, using what he wrote to the Colossians, we’re going to discuss how the church can be the kind of fellowship envisioned by Paul. And I’ll tell you, personally, I think it comes down to doing three very clear and specific things.

In other words, I believe we can become rooted in the kind of fellowship envisioned by Paul, first, by claiming God’s love. You see, when we accept what God’s done, this acceptance can change our attitudes. And you know, I think that’s what Paul was getting at when he wrote this to the Colossians:

God loves you and has chosen you as his own special people. So be gentle, kind, humble, meek, and patient. Put up with each other, and forgive anyone who does you wrong, just as Christ has forgiven you. Love is more important than anything else. It is what ties everything completely together. [Colossians 3:12-14, CEV]

Now that’s what Paul wrote. 

And I’ll tell you something, I think that’s exactly what we can accept. In other words, we can recognize that God loved us before he laid the foundation of the universe and will love us long after time has lost its meaning. As a matter of fact, it’s really about accepting that, when Paul wrote to the Romans that “nothing in all creation can separate us from God’s love for us in Christ Jesus our Lord!” [Romans 8:39b, CEV], man, that’s exactly what he meant. But you know, as he wrote to the Colossians, this love business also meant accepting that we were chosen to be God’s own special people, that we were chosen to be a new creation, my gosh, that we were chosen to be the children of God. Now I think that’s what it means to accept God’s love. 

And when we do, when we accept that we were, that we are and that we will always be loved by the creator of the universe, man, that’s got to change our attitude, and I’m talking about the attitude that the people around us can actually see. I mean, as Paul wrote to the Colossians, accepting God’s love has got to move us to be more patient, you know, to be more gentle and kind and to be more humble and meek. But it’ll also move us to be more forgiving, what did Paul say, to be more willing to put up with one another and actually to forgive anyone who does us wrong, all because Christ has forgiven us. As a matter of fact, when we decide to set our minds on God’s mercy and grace and compassion, I believe that’s going to move us to become more and more and more united. And I’ll tell you, that just makes sense. I mean, when my attitude towards others begins to soften and when I’m willing to stop finding fault and blaming others even when they are to blame and they are at fault, and when I’m able to pull an Elsa and just “let it go,” man, that’s got to draw us together, because doing that will knock down some of those barriers that keep us apart. You see, when we accept what God’s done, this acceptance can change our attitudes. And for me, that’s what it means to claim God’s love, the first thing we can do to become rooted in the kind of fellowship envisioned by Paul. But, of course, that’s not all.

You see, after we’ve claimed God’s love, second, we can develop some shared activities, and I’m talking about the kind of activities that are only possible when we accept our unity and because of that, will change our actions toward God and with one another. And I’ll tell you, I think that’s what Paul had in mind when he wrote this:

Each one of you is part of the body of Christ, and you were chosen to live together in peace. So let the peace that comes from Christ control your thoughts. And be grateful. Let the message about Christ completely fill your lives, while you use all your wisdom to teach and instruct each other. With thankful hearts, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. Whatever you say or do should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, as you give thanks to God the Father because of him. [Colossians 3:15-17, CEV] 

Again, that’s what he wrote. And just think about what it means.

My goodness, right here and right now, we can accept that we’ve been called together to this place, at this time. And through that calling, we’ve been joined together as the Body of Christ, in other words, as his tangible presence in a world where people seem to be more and more impatient and more and more intolerant and more and more divided. And as Christ’s body, it’s absolutely crucial for us to live together in peace. You see, that’s what we’ve been called to be. 

And I’ll tell you, if we accept this call, if we set aside the anger and the distrust and the hatred that seems to have permeated our society and we make the intentional choice to live in peace, man, that’s got to shape our actions, and I’m talking about the actions we take as a body. For example, according to Paul, it’s got to motivate us to organize activities that will give us opportunities to grow, you know, to come to a deeper understanding of what God’s word actually says and how we might actually respond. And it’s got to motivate us to organize activities that will give us opportunities to praise, you know, to express our gratitude to the one who’s already given us so much and who will, in the end, give us everything else. And I’ll tell you, it’s got to motivate us to organize activities that will give us opportunities to serve, in other words, that will give us the chance to take what we’ve learned in here and live it in the world out there and to do it all “...in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, as [we] give thanks to God the Father because of him.” [Colossians 3:17b, CEV] You see, when we accept that God has called us together for a reason, this acceptance can change our actions. And for me, that’s the reason we’re going to develop some shared activities, the second thing we can do to become Paul’s kind of community.

And third, I believe we can become rooted in Paul’s vision for a Christian fellowship by showing mutual respect, you know, by recognizing that even though we’re all different, facing different expectations and challenges, we can still respect one another and be sensitive to them even if they’re different from us. And you know, I think that’s why Paul offered the Colossians these three examples which, I believe, reflected the expectations found in their world but probably not ours:

A wife must put her husband first. This is her duty as a follower of the Lord.

A husband must love his wife and not abuse her.

Children must always obey their parents. This pleases the Lord.

Parents, don’t be hard on your children. If you are, they might give up.

Slaves, you must always obey your earthly masters. Try to please them at all times, and not just when you think they are watching. Honor the Lord and serve your masters with your whole heart. Do your work willingly, as though you were serving the Lord himself, and not just your earthly master. In fact, the Lord Christ is the one you are really serving, and you know he will reward you. But Christ has no favorites! He will punish evil people, just as they deserve.

Slave owners, be fair and honest with your slaves. Don’t forget that you have a Master in heaven. [Colossians 3:18 – 4:1, CEV]

Now those were the examples he offered. And you know, as we read them, I think it makes sense to view them in this way, as examples that were meaningful for the Colossians in the first century, but not necessarily for us today. In other words, if Paul were writing to the church in Sligo in 2025, I’m sure he’d use other examples. But be-that-a-it may,  I believe all three point to the same thing, namely that we’re different, carrying different expectations and facing different challenges and having different needs. In other words, there’s a diversity among those who are loved by God and who have been called into the Body of Christ itself. And for that reason, it’s important for us, as best we can, to put ourselves in their shoes, and to appreciate the world that they face and to understand those expectations and challenges and needs that may be radically different from our own. You see, given its context in the first century, what’s truly radical about these examples isn’t what Paul said to wives and to children and to slaves. It was what he told husbands and parents and slave owners. You see, I think it’s all about accepting and being sensitive to our differences. 

And I’ll tell you, when we accept this, when we accept that God loves the young and the old, the professional and the laborer, the conservative and the progressive and all the others, and when we accept that God has called us all into one community, into one fellowship, into one Body, the Body of Christ, I’m telling you, when we realize that we’re all different, then our relationships within this fellowship will change. In other words, our sensitivity to the expectations and challenges and needs, that sensitivity is going to grow. And our desire to work together so that whatever personal sacrifices that must be made for the sake of unity,  that they’ll be mutual and not one-sided, that desire is going to deepen. And our willingness to make some of those sacrifices for the sake of something far greater than any one of us here this morning, understanding that Paul knew what he was talking about when he wrote to the Galatians, “Faith in Christ Jesus is what makes each of you equal with each other, whether you are a Jew or a Greek, a slave or a free person, a man or a woman”, [Galatians 3:28, CEV] that willingness will expand. I’m telling you, when we accept that we’re all different, this acceptance can change our relationships. And for me, that’s the kind of mutual respect we’re going to find in this fellowship Paul envisions.

Now, yesterday, as I was working on this message, I got a text from Debbie telling me that she and Maggie were going to pick her sister up at the airport. And I’ll tell you, because of that, I have absolutely no question that sometime today, there’s going to be a big Shadiow get-together, and everyone who’s able will be there, and I’m talking about brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, parents and children. And even though I don’t think that will ever happen with the Rudigers, I believe it’s wonderful that this is something Debbie and Maggie know and enjoy. 

And I’ll tell you, in some ways, this is the kind of thing Paul envisions for us, his people, his children. You see, according to what he wrote to the Colossians, we can be a people who claim God’s love by deciding to be more patient and more forgiving and more united. And because of that, we can be a people who develop shared activities, activities that will offer us opportunities to grow and to praise and to serve. And within this body, we can be a people who show mutual respect by recognizing that we’re all different and by intentionally identifying with the expectations and challenges and needs of those unlike us. In other words, claiming Paul’s vision, we can be rooted in fellowship.