Transcript
Well, even if Chip does have the last word tonight, let me remind you I am only a phone call to Dallas away. And if you would ever like to know anything about Pastor Brunat, just lift up the receiver and give me a call.
I do want to express my appreciation for the Del Rio hospitality that I have enjoyed this weekend. I have really appreciated the fellowship and your responsiveness to the ministry of the Word. And this has been a weekend that I am sure is going to take me a long, long time to forget. So thank you for all you have done. I have enjoyed it very much.
And for our final time around the Word of God, let me invite you this time to the epistle to the Colossians, chapter 3. Colossians chapter 3. Colossians chapter 3. And we want to begin reading at verse 12.
“Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering, bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another. Even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body. And be thankful.”
Billy is twenty-three years old. And he is the same person as David, who is nine years old. Who is the same person as Alan, eighteen years old. Who is the same person as Arthur, twenty-two. And Adalina, nineteen. And Reagan, twenty-three. And Christine, who is only three.
You say, “Zane, what in the world are you talking about?” I am talking about a very sad and tragic case that came to light in 1978. A young man by the name of William Milligan was arrested for a violent crime. Under psychiatric examination it was learned that he suffered from a mental disorder known as multiple personality. He had ten different personalities, eight of them male and two of them female.
Psychiatrists believe that multiple personality is a desperate effort to handle conflicting emotions by dividing them up among different people. Billy is the core personality. He feels guilty and has suicidal tendencies. And he is asleep most of the time. David is a nine-year-old little boy, a frightened and abused child. And he may have made the telephone call that led to the arrest of William Milligan. Alan is eighteen. He is a talented and sociable artist. And he is the only one of the ten personalities that smokes. Reagan is twenty-three. He speaks with a Slavic accent. And he has no regard for other people.
Arthur, on the other hand, is twenty-two. He speaks with an English accent. He is a rational and controlled type of individual. And he desperately tries to repair the damage that is done by the other personalities. Christine is a three-year-old little girl. And she draws pictures like a three-year-old little girl.
At last report there had been no progress in the treatment of this sad case. And even as far back as 1978 apparently William Milligan held out little hope for a cure. One of his personalities, sixteen-year-old Tommy, wrote this sad poem. He said,
“I am sorry that I have taken up your time.
I am the poem that doesn’t rhyme.
So I will just turn back the page.
I will waste away.
I will waste away.”
Now that is a pretty somber note on which to begin a message. And the reason that I have told you this grim and depressing story is because I want to warn you about something. I am convinced that there are many ordinary people who would be described as normal who are very much like William Milligan. In that they change personalities the way most people change clothes.
You meet them on Sunday morning. They probably have on their churchgoing personality. And now they are sociable and agreeable and pleasant and easy to communicate with. But when they go home after church they put on their family personality. And now they are grumpy and irritable and unpleasant and hard to communicate with. And when they go to work on Monday morning they put on their work personality. And now they are a little bit lazy and maybe just a bit dishonest. They use bad language and they listen to dirty jokes. And maybe if they are somewhere else that they go they have a personality which they wear when they go there.
And tonight I would like to challenge you to examine your spiritual wardrobe. To examine your spiritual wardrobe. How many personalities do you have hanging in your spiritual closet? And if you have only one, is it the right kind of personality?
Did you notice the words of the Apostle Paul which we read only a few moments ago? Paul says, “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on.” Put on. And by using this expression “put on,” Paul was using a word in his language that was normally used of putting on clothes. Therefore Paul is saying here is the kind of Christian personality that you ought to be wearing. Here is how every well-dressed Christian dresses.
Put on tender mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering. You know, many centuries ago old man Jacob, old father Jacob, gave to his beloved son Joseph a special garment which in our English Bibles is described as a coat of many colors. And every time his son Joseph wore that special garment everybody knew that he was the beloved son of his aging father.
And there is a sense in which God is saying to us, “I have a special multicolored garment for you to wear which will show everyone that you are My child.” Put on humbleness, kindness, meekness, tender mercy.
You know every year People magazine comes out with its annual list of the best-dressed and worst-dressed men and women in the entire world. And just a few years ago a man made that list as one of the best-dressed men in the world who really surprised me. His name is Dave Winfield. And those of you who are baseball buffs will recognize the name of Dave Winfield as the name of a six-foot-plus outfielder for the New York Yankees. And the only time I have ever seen Dave Winfield on television he has been wearing the pinstripe uniform of the Yankees. And I never really thought of him as one of the best dressers in the world. But according to People magazine that year apparently he is.
The fashion expert said that for business occasions he has got twenty, mind you twenty, Wall Street smart suits. And for pleasure occasions he has snappy jackets of mink and coyote and sheared beaver. The fashion expert said he is terrific. He is an assured dresser. Well he can afford to be. He is one of the highest-paid baseball players in the country. And his annual salary is estimated at about one and a half million dollars. He can afford a few jackets of mink and coyote.
And listen, let us face it. The kind of clothing that God is asking us to wear is expensive clothing. It is rare. It is going to cost us something. But we can afford it if we are born-again Christians. We are the elect of God, chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. We are holy because the Bible says you have been washed, you have been sanctified, you have been justified. We are beloved because God gave His only begotten Son for us.
And God is saying in this passage, “Dress appropriately. Dress appropriately.”
Some strangers were once asked to meet Lord Shaftesbury at the railroad station. And they had never seen Lord Shaftesbury. And they said, “How shall we recognize Lord Shaftesbury?” And they got a very interesting answer. They were told, “When you see a tall man who is helping somebody, that is Lord Shaftesbury.”
Well they went down to the railroad station. And sure enough a tall man got off the train. With one hand he was holding a suitcase. And in the other arm he had some bundles that belonged to a little old working lady. Not too big to help someone lower in station and life than he. Not too busy to be kind.
And I am wondering this evening if people can recognize you as a Christian, as a son or daughter of the King of kings and Lord of lords, by your meekness, by your gentleness, by your tender mercies, by your kindness.
But let me warn you about something. Your Christian outfit is going to be seriously flawed if it lacks one thing. Did you notice the words of Paul in verse 13? He says, “Bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another. Even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.”
Now you would not expect a bachelor to be an expert on women’s hosiery. And I certainly am not. But one thing I observed when I was growing up. The silk and nylon hosiery that women wore was particularly susceptible to developing runs in them. And no woman wanted to be out in public with an embarrassing run in her hosiery.
And I am warning you tonight that your Christian outfit will develop an embarrassing run unless you know how to bear and forbear with the faults of your fellow Christians. Unless you know how to forgive those who sin against you.
A grandmother was once being honored on the occasion of her golden wedding anniversary. And as the celebration proceeded she was explaining to the assembled guests the secret of her successful marriage. And she said, “On the night that I was married I made up my mind to write down a list of ten faults of my husband. For the sake of our marriage I would overlook them.”
As the celebration was breaking up a younger woman who was having trouble in her marriage came up to the grandmother. And she said, “Tell me, what were the ten faults of your husband which you wrote down and which you decided to overlook?” And the grandmother replied, “Well,” she said, “to tell you the truth I never actually got around to writing them down. But every time my husband did something that made me hopping mad I would always say to myself, ‘Lucky for him that is one of the ten.’”
And that is what it means to bear and forbear. It means to overlook the faults and failings of our brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ.
Now I am going to air some of the dirty linen tonight of Victor Street Bible Chapel from which I come. And I suppose that nothing like this could ever happen here at Christ Bible Fellowship. But you know every once in a while at Victor Street a parent in the meeting will get offended because another Christian has criticized or corrected their children. That never happens down here in Del Rio, does it? But just in case it ever does, here is a suggestion.
First of all it is possible that that child of yours was not exactly a perfect angel. They might have needed a little criticism and correction. But even if the other Christian was totally wrong and your child was totally innocent, your responsibility is to bear and forbear. And if necessary to forgive. Why? Because that is what God has done for you in Jesus Christ. Even as Christ also forgave you, so you too must do.
There is a prominent boulevard in the city of Chicago. And it is said that for many years there was a tall eighteen-foot-high fence on that boulevard. And the woman who erected the fence did it because she thought her neighbor was looking in through her windows. And so she built this fence to keep her neighbor from looking in at her window. And of course her neighbor could not look in anymore. But something else happened. The fence shut the sunlight out of her yard. It ruined her lawn. And it cast a shadow on the house in which she lived.
And of course, my Christian friends, tonight it is easy, is it not, when someone offends us to build a fence between ourselves and them. It is easy to build a wall between ourselves and another believer in Jesus Christ. But know this. That for every fence you build you are shutting the sunlight of God’s love out of your life. You are ruining your Christian testimony. And you are living in the shadow of a disobedient spirit.
General Robert E. Lee, the famous and skillful Southern general, was once speaking to the president of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis. And he was praising a certain officer in the army. And there was another officer standing by listening to what General Lee was saying. And he could not believe his ears. And finally this other officer spoke up. And he said to General Robert E. Lee, “Don’t you realize that the man of whom you are speaking so highly to the president is your bitterest enemy? That he never misses an opportunity to criticize and condemn you?”
And General Lee replied, “Yes, I know that.” But said General Lee, “The president asked for my opinion of him, not for his opinion of me.”
Can you do that? Can you speak well of someone who speaks ill of you? Can you be kind to someone who is ungracious to you? Can you deal in mercy with the thoughtless and with the ungrateful? If you can, you are wearing what every stylish Christian wears.
But now we come to the belt. The belt. And in verse 14 Paul writes, “But above all these things,” or as we might translate it, “over all these things, put on love, which is the bond of perfection.”
And when Paul uses this word “bond” I think he is suggesting that he is thinking of something like a belt or a sash which was tied around the body and which held the garment together and which completed the outfit. In ancient times when someone dressed up in a beautiful and expensive garment it was very common, even for men, to wear a colorful and extensive sash around the waist which held the garment to the body and completed the outfit.
And I think the Apostle Paul is saying, “Listen, put on this lovely multicolored garment that I have been describing to you. But be sure you complete it by putting on the belt of love.”
You know a number of Christmas seasons ago a couple in our church by the name of John and Alice Valderas bought me several little Christmas presents. And one of their little Christmas presents was just about my favorite present. It was a belt. And you know why it was my favorite present? It was too small. Too small. I was fighting the battle of the bulge in those days. And it just thrilled my soul to think that Alice Valderas had gone into a clothing store and underestimated my waist size. That made my Christmas.
But you know I am afraid that there are some Christians who cannot wear the belt of God. They are so over-bloated with unloving and ungracious characteristics that it just will not fit.
We all know that storks are associated with the arrival of children. Did you know that storks are also a shining example of good family life? I kid you not. I was surprised too. But apparently they are. I have read that when the male stork comes to a nest where there is a setting female he perches on the edge of that nest. And he lifts those long beaks of his skyward and clatters or clabbers or whatever they do with those beaks in a ceremonious greeting to the female. And even if they meet a dozen times a day he goes through the same ritual. He goes through the same ceremony.
And they say that the young storks soon learn from this. And they scramble up on their little legs when an adult stork appears. Storks are devoted to their offspring. And there is the story of the female stork who covers her brood with her wings while a fire rages through a thatched roof. She is covered with soot. But she has protected the life of her young at the risk of her own.
You know what occurred to me? Would it not be lovely if we could bring the manners of storks into our homes and into our churches? Would it not be beautiful if every time a husband and wife spoke to each other they always did it with a sense of respect and a regard for the dignity of the other person? Do you not think our children would learn from that? You better believe they would. Your child grows up and they do not give you the respect that you think you deserve. You might ask yourself, “Where did they learn that disrespect?” And nine times out of ten they learned it right in your home.
And would it not be beautiful if every time we greeted one another at church we did so warmly and sincerely and with special regard for the other person? Would it not be wonderful if we could sacrifice our own interests for the interests of our brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ? You know when we can do that we are wearing the sash of love.
Now I was really a little amused because on the same list of best and worst dressed people that was made by Dave Winfield one of the women who made the list of the worst-dressed women in the world happens to be one of the richest women in the world. Her name is Christina Onassis. She is the daughter of the shipping tycoon. And she has so much money she could afford the very best clothes that could be found anywhere in the world. But the fashion expert with People magazine said that she has a preference for shapeless gray skirts and bulky woolen jackets. And then the fashion expert added this. She almost looks unhappy, as if she is mad at the world.
And is it not tragic sometimes when Christian people look unhappy and give the impression that they are angry with other people, even with their brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ? Perish the thought. Gird yourself with the golden belt of love.
The songwriter has put it well. “We will work with each other. We will work side by side. We will work with each other. We will work side by side. And we will guard each man’s dignity and save each man’s pride. And they will know we are Christians by our love, by our love. They will know that we are Christians by our love.”
And above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.
You know there is a saying that the clothes make the man. But in the Christian life it is exactly the other way around. It is the man who makes the clothes. And after describing this beautiful multicolored garment to us the Apostle Paul drives right to the heart of the matter. For he says in verse 15, “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which you were called in one body.”
Do you realize that peace is one of the rarest things in the world around us? Someone has estimated that only eight percent of recorded human history has been peaceful. That out of three thousand one hundred years of history that is recorded only two hundred eighty-six years have been completely free of war. And during that time eight thousand treaties have been broken.
But if peace is rare in the world around us it ought to be common in the Christian church. Because to this we are called in one body. Now please do not misunderstand the words that Paul is using here. I do not think Paul is talking about what we call peace of heart, tranquility of spirit. Paul is talking about a peace that we enjoy in the unity of the body of Christ. But he is saying that peace begins in our heart. “Let the peace of God rule in your hearts.”
And did you know that that word for “rule” in Paul’s language was a very interesting word? It was a word that described the role of a referee or an umpire or a judge at an athletic competition. And therefore we could paraphrase this command in this way. Let the peace of God be the umpire in your hearts.
Ladies, before I get back to Dallas one piece of unsolicited advice. Next summer if your husband wants to go down to Houston to the Astrodome and see a baseball game and you are gracious enough to go with him. And if you get bored with what the players are doing on the field, here is a suggestion. Watch the umpires. Watch the umpire behind home plate. Watch the umpire down at first base. And if you are lucky enough to be at the ballpark when the best umpires are on duty you are in for a treat.
The pitcher winds up, throws the ball over the outside corner of the plate. And the umpire goes, “Strike one!” The runner hits the ball, dashes down to first base. It beats him by an eyelash. And the umpire goes, “You are out!” I am not doing those guys justice. Some of them have got that technique down to a science. There are showboats. And you are lucky if you are at the ballpark on a night when the best umpires are on duty.
And you know I hope that the right umpire is on duty in your heart. This umpire’s name is not Ollie Donelli or Joe something or any of the other famous baseball umpires. This umpire’s name is the peace of God.
And do you know what happens in your heart when this umpire is on duty? When you find bitterness, resentment, an unforgiving spirit sliding into your heart, this umpire goes, “You are out! Out! Out!” And when there arises in your heart a spirit of grace and consideration and compassion and forgiveness, this umpire says, “Safe! Safe!”
And you see, my friends, when the peace of God really rules our hearts it will teach us how to think. It will teach us how to feel about our fellow Christians. Let me assure you of this. That peace in the church begins in your heart and it begins in mine. And if the peace of God rules every heart in the congregation here there will be peace at Christ Bible Fellowship in Del Rio, Texas.
But there is one more thing. It all adds, “And be thankful.” And be thankful to whom? To God, certainly. But mainly the Apostle Paul has been talking about our relationships to other people. And therefore it seems very likely that other people are included. And here I think that Paul is putting it in the simplest of terms. He is saying, “Be grateful. Be appreciative people.”
And I am persuaded that if we can be properly thankful to God we will not find it difficult to be properly thankful to men.
Matthew Henry, that great biblical scholar, was once set upon by thieves who robbed him of his purse. And when he got home this is what he wrote in his diary. Matthew Henry said, “Let me be thankful. First, that I was never robbed before. Second, that though they took my purse they did not take my life. Third, that though they took all I had it was not much. And fourth, that it was I who was being robbed and not I who was doing the robbing.”
That is thankfulness. And a person who can be thankful to God in the distresses of life can also easily learn to be thankful to people.
It is said that an elderly lady once came into the private office of President Abraham Lincoln. She was carrying a covered basket. And she laid this basket down on the president’s desk. And she said, “Mr. President, I have not come to ask for a favor for myself or for someone else. I have heard that you are fond of cookies. And I have brought you some cookies.”
And the story is that for a few moments Abraham Lincoln was speechless. And tears began to roll down his cheeks. And he said to this woman, “My dear woman, your kind and unselfish act has moved me deeply. Hundreds of people have been in this office since I have become president. And you are the first person not to ask for a favor for himself or for someone else.”
And you know sometimes we are so busy trying to get other people to do things our way that we forget to be thankful. Husband, when was the last time, be honest with yourself now, when was the last time that you went to your wife and you said, “Honey, I really appreciate the way you keep house, the way you take care of the kids, the way you prepare my meals”?
And wives, when was the last time that you said to your husband, “Darling, I really appreciate the way you work hard for this family, the way you support it with your efforts and your energy and your time”?
And Christian, when was the last time that you went to someone in the church, not to the pastor but to some other member of this church, and said to them, “You know, I really appreciate your Christian testimony, your dedication to God, your commitment to this church, what you do in our congregation”?
You know I am persuaded that if we could allow the peace of God to really control our hearts and become thankful, gracious people we would be able to develop all of these other qualities so very easily. And we would be wearing the very best kind of Christian personality.
Now I have talked to you this evening primarily in terms of clothing. Permit me just before I complete my message to change the figure of speech just a little bit. Someone has said that in our relationships with other people there are some very important words that we have to know. Here they are. Do you know them?
The six most important words: “I admit I made a mistake.”
The five most important words: “You did a good job.”
The four most important words: “What is your opinion?”
The three most important words: “If you please.”
The two most important words: “Thank you.”
The one most important word: “We.”
The least important word of all: “I.”
Show me a Christian who can talk that kind of language sincerely and from the heart. And I will show you a Christian who really knows how to dress.
Let us face it, folks. Let us face it. None of us are ever going to make People magazine’s list of the best-dressed men and women in the world. But if you wear this kind of spiritual clothing you have already made God’s list. You have already made God’s list. And you are one of the best-dressed people in the Christian church.
Shall we pray? Father, teach us in attitude, in word, in manner, and in deed to be more like the Lord Jesus Christ, to be clothed in Him, and to be good testimonies to Your saving grace. We ask this in Christ’s name. Amen.