In this blog, we'll focus on the working being done at Sligo Presbyterian Church, Sligo, Pennsylvania. We'll also look at what's happening in Sligo, Rimersburg, Clarion, and all the other communities served by our congregation.
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 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 of the service, the video of the sermon, and the service bulletin. 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.
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:
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.
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:
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:
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.
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.
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.
Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with 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; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs 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.
Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly.
Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is your acceptable duty in the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, or they may lose heart. Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything, not with a slavery performed merely for looks, to please people, but wholeheartedly, fearing the Lord. Whatever task you must do, work as if your soul depends on it, as for the Lord and not for humans, since you know that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward; you serve the Lord Christ. For the wrongdoer will be paid back for whatever wrong has been done, and there is no partiality. Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly, for you know that you also have a Master in heaven.
So, as God’s own chosen people, who are holy [set apart, sanctified for His purpose] and well-beloved [by God Himself], put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience [which has the power to endure whatever injustice or unpleasantness comes, with good temper]; bearing graciously with one another, and willingly forgiving each other if one has a cause for complaint against another; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so should you forgive. Beyond all these things put on and wrap yourselves in [unselfish] love, which is the perfect bond of unity [for everything is bound together in agreement when each one seeks the best for others]. Let the peace of Christ [the inner calm of one who walks daily with Him] be the controlling factor in your hearts [deciding and settling questions that arise]. To this peace indeed you were called as members in one body [of believers]. And be thankful [to God always]. Let the [spoken] word of Christ have its home within you [dwelling in your heart and mind—permeating every aspect of your being] as you teach [spiritual things] and admonish and train one another with all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do [no matter what it is] in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus [and in dependence on Him], giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
Wives, be subject to your husbands [out of respect for their position as protector, and their accountability to God], as is proper and fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives [with an affectionate, sympathetic, selfless love that always seeks the best for them] and do not be embittered or resentful toward them [because of the responsibilities of marriage]. Children, obey your parents [as God’s representatives] in all things, for this [attitude of respect and obedience] is well-pleasing to the Lord [and will bring you God’s promised blessings]. Fathers, do not provoke or irritate or exasperate your children [with demands that are trivial or unreasonable or humiliating or abusive; nor by favoritism or indifference; treat them tenderly with lovingkindness], so they will not lose heart and become discouraged or unmotivated [with their spirits broken].
Servants, in everything obey those who are your masters on earth, not only with external service, as those who merely please people, but with sincerity of heart because of your fear of the Lord. Whatever you do [whatever your task may be], work from the soul [that is, put in your very best effort], as [something done] for the Lord and not for men, knowing [with all certainty] that it is from the Lord [not from men] that you will receive the inheritance which is your [greatest] reward. It is the Lord Christ whom you [actually] serve. For he who does wrong will be punished for his wrongdoing, and [with God] there is no partiality [no special treatment based on a person’s position in life].
Masters, [on your part] deal with your slaves justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.
Sunday, February 13, we continued our series entitled "Living the Call: Seven Ways to Live as Followers of Jesus Christ." During the Sundays between the end of the Christmas season and the beginning of Lent, we’ll consider seven ways we can live as followers of Jesus. The topics are listed below.
January 16 – Decide to Follow (Mark 1:14-20)
January 23 – Grow in the Word (2 Timothy 3:10-17)
January 30 – Pray in Faith (Matthew 6:5-15)
February 6 – Claim the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-26)
February 13 – Fellowship with Believers (Colossians 3:12-17)
February 20 – Witness to the World (Matthew 28:16-20)
February 27 – Minister to Others (1 John 3:15-24)
During this fifth message, we used Colossians 3:12-17 to discuss how we might strength our fellowship with other believers.
Although it’s not hard to believe that we’ve been called by Christ, actually living that call may be a whole lot more challenging. And so, during the Sundays between the end of the Christmas season and the beginning of Lent, we’ll consider seven ways we can live as followers of Jesus. The topics are listed below.
January 16 – Decide to Follow (Mark 1:14-20)
January 23 – Grow in the Word (2 Timothy 3:10-17)
January 30 – Pray in Faith (Matthew 6:5-15)
February 6 – Claim the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-26)
February 13 – Fellowship with Believers (Colossians 3:12-17)
February 20 – Witness to the World (Matthew 28:16-20)
February 27 – Minister to Others (1 John 3:15-24)
During this fifth message, we used Colossians 3:12-17 to discuss how we might strengthen our fellowship with other believers.
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.
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.
Fellowship with Believers
Now y’all may not know this, but today is maybe the third most important day on the church calendar, not as big as Christmas or Easter but probably more significant than Epiphany or Pentecost. As a matter of fact, it definitely influences the schedules of most American congregations, and I’m talking about more than either the arrival of the wise men or the coming of the Holy Spirit. And of course, I’m talking about the Super Bowl. I mean, that’s why we had the annual meeting last week and scheduled a dinner after church today with great fear and trembling. You see, today is Super Bowl Sunday. And even though, as I remember, it wasn’t a big deal fifty-six years ago, that’s certainly not the case now. I mean, even people who don’t follow football are aware that today is special. As a matter of fact, they may even know the two teams that are playing: the Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams, fangs against horns, Indian tigers vs. male sheep. What a country.
Of course, as I was putting together this series we stated about a month ago, I really wasn’t thinking about either an interspecies football game or a soup and salad luncheon. No, this is just one more message in a seven-part series entitled “Living the Call: Seven Ways to Live as Followers of Jesus Christ.” You see, on each of the Sundays between Epiphany and the beginning of Lent, we’re looking at seven different ways we can live as followers of Jesus. And to this point, we’ve considered how we can decide to follow by opening our minds and leaving behind our past and moving into the future and how we can also decide to grow in God’s word by loving it, learning it and living it. A couple of weeks ago, we talked about how we can pray in faith by trusting that God has interest and authority, compassion and expectations and then last week how we can claim the Spirit, something that’s really important for us to do because that Spirit informs us and empowers us and inspires us. Now that’s where we’ve been.
And today we’re going to focus on another way we can live as followers of Jesus Christ, and now I’m talking about having fellowship with believers. And as we’ve talked about during those other four messages, well, there’s an awful lot of stuff going on in our world that’s pulling us in the opposite direction, you know, that’s pushing people apart rather than drawing folks together. As a matter of fact, it sure seems as though we’re almost encouraged to focus our attention on what makes us different. And even though I think that’s pretty obvious when you’re talking about race and politics and even vaccines, I believe some of this has crept into the church, you know, among Christians. And I’ll tell you, I think you can see that happening, as more and more believers withdraw into their own little cults based on their rightness and the wrongness of others. Of course, in this kind of environment, genuine Christian fellowship is hard to come by.
And for that reason, we’re going to spend a little time this morning thinking about how we, as followers of Jesus, can actually strengthen our fellowship with one another, something that happens when we decide to intentionally shift our focus from others to God. You see, we’re going to take this passage we just read from Paul’s letter to the Colossians and we’re going to talk about two things that God has chosen to do for us that can completely reshape the way we relate to one another, strengthening our fellowship and enabling us reach out into an often divided and hostile world. And like I said, it’s all in these verses. Let me explain.
You see, according to Paul, God chose to love us and to makes us special. Now that’s the first choice I think we can see in the passage. I mean, just remember, this was what he wrote:
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 was what he said.
And just think about what it means; the eternal Lord and creator of the universe chose to do these two things for us, his creatures. One, he chose to love us. And even though sometimes we assume that God loves us sort of like we love God, that’s just not the way it is. You see, our love is objective. In other words, we love because of the object loved. For example, I love my wife Debbie because of Debbie. And I love blue crabs because of blue crabs. And I love football because of football. You see, I don’t love all sports or all foods or all wives; man, that would get me fired in a heartbeat. My love, our love is object-centered. But I’ll tell you, that’s not the case with God. Since, according to John, God is love [1 John 4:8a, CEV], God loves us because of God and not because of us. God loves, because that’s what God is. And I’ll tell you, that’s why Paul could write this to the Romans:
In everything we have won more than a victory because of Christ who loves us. I am sure that nothing can separate us from God’s love—not life or death, not angels or spirits, not the present or the future, and not powers above or powers below. Nothing in all creation can separate us from God’s love for us in Christ Jesus our Lord! [Romans 8:37-39, CEV]
You see, we need to remember that God chose to love us. That’s one.
And two, he also chose to set us apart as his own special and holy people. In other words, we no longer belong to the world, which means we no longer have to accept its assumptions nor to adopt its values. No sir, we belong to God. We are his people. I’ll tell you, it’s like Paul wrote, again to the Romans:
Whether we live or die, it must be for God, rather than for ourselves. Whether we live or die, it must be for the Lord. Alive or dead, we still belong to the Lord. This is because Christ died and rose to life, so that he would be the Lord of the dead and of the living. [Romans 14:7-9, CEV]
You see, the one who chooses to love us has also set us apart as his own people.
And according to what Paul wrote to Colossians, just knowing that can not only change us but also change our fellowship with one another. For example, when we accept this, when we believe it, that’s going to challenge us to be sympathetic to one another, using the actual words of Paul, to be more “gentle, kind, humble, meek, and patient.” [Colossians 3:12b, CEV]
But that’s not all; it’ll also challenge us to be more forgiving, more willing to put up with one another and to forgive others just like Christ has forgiven us. But again, that’s not all. By focusing on how God feels about us and what he’s done for us, man, I believe that challenges us to more loving ourselves. Again, using what Paul actually wrote, “Love is more important than anything else. It is what ties everything completely together.” [Colossians 3:14, CEV] You see, if we really accept that God chose to love us and to make us special, we’ll be changed and our fellowship will be strengthened. And that’s the first thing we can remember.
And second, again based on what Paul wrote, God chose to unite us and make us the Body of Christ. Again, just listen to what he said this to the Colossians:
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]
Now that’s what Paul wrote.
And just like I said a little while ago about how God chose to love us and to make us his special people, I’ll tell you, I think this is important too. I mean, for reasons we may never understand, God unites us. As a matter of fact, I believe he brought us together on this day to this spot. But even broader than that, God has decided to bring all Christians together into this new community. It’s like Peter wrote in his first letter:
But you are God’s chosen and special people. You are a group of royal priests and a holy nation. God has brought you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Now you must tell all the wonderful things that he has done. The Scriptures say,
“Once you were nobody.
Now you are God’s people.
At one time no one
had pity on you.
Now God has treated you
with kindness. [1 Peter 2:9-10, CEV]
Now this is what God has done and will continue to do. And as this group of royal priests and this holy nation, we represent God’s presence on earth in a tangible way. You see, we’ve become the Body of Christ, something that Paul must have understood when he wrote this to the Corinthians: Together you are the body of Christ. Each one of you is part of his body. [1 Corinthians 12:27, CEV] You see, by God’s choice, we’ve been united, and we’ve become the body of Christ.
And just like trusting that we are loved and have been set apart invites us to change, I believe this reality can too. You see, one, when we believe that God has united us and made his own body, I think that challenges us to become more peaceful, in other word, more focused on living in peace with one another than in insisting on our own way. I guess you could say that when Paul said that the peace which comes from Christ should control our thoughts, he was pretty much telling us that we probably shouldn’t be running around, acting like a bunch of Karens. Peace should really be our goal. That’s one. And two, I also think an awareness of what God has done for us challenges us to be more grateful, but not just for what God has done for me, rather, for what has done for us and what we can do for one another. That’s two. And finally, just trusting in this divine unity, man, I believe that challenges us to be more focused. You see, as the Body of Christ, called by God and inspired by the Spirit, we can focus on not just the work we’ve been called to do but also the praise and worship we’ve been called to offer. My gosh, we’re loved by the creator of the universe and we have one another. And I’ll tell you, if that’s all we’ve got, man, we have good reason for singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. You see, by accepting that God chose to unite us and to make us the Body of Christ, that’ll change us too and strengthen our fellowship. And that’s the second thing we can remember.
And you know, having said all that, although it sure wasn’t intended, I think today is the perfect Sunday for a message about maintaining fellowship with believers. I mean, not only are we going to have some fellowship over soup and salads in just a little bit, but the game itself sort of reenforces what we’ve been saying. You see, by their play on the field, both the Bengals and the Rams were chosen to represent their conferences in the Super Bowl. And I think their ability to play will improve when they recognize that they really are special and feel a sense of unity as they take the field. In fact, in my opinion, those things may be so important that they might determine who’s going to win and who’s going to start looking forward to next year.
And you know, that’s sort of what God has done for us. You see, God has chosen to love us and to make us special, something that I believe challenges us to be more sympathetic and more forgiving and more loving. And he’s also chosen to unite us and to make us the Body of Christ, something that can challenge us to be more peaceful and more grateful and more focused. You see, by just remembering that we’ve been chosen by God and by allowing that reality to shape our actions and attitudes, I’m telling you, I think it’ll strengthen our fellowship with believers.
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