Walk It Out
First B Jackson
2026-10-25

Automatically transcribed. Where this and the recording disagree, the recording is the record.

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Guys who preached when I was away, Philip and Van both preached on basically on walking it out, walking out this life. We had just hit that in Colossians two in the beginning of chapter three actually and both of them said, I think I've got a direction to go. I asked Van to go a specific direction but I'm glad that they're talking about walking it out. When we used to end the Monday night service, I don't know if the rest of the song is appropriate. I'm not a pop guy but when we would end the Monday night service, instead of doing a benediction, the glory be to the father and to the son and to the Holy Spirit.

Often, Blake would just automatically go into walk it out. Walk it out. Like, you gotta walk it out. Walk it out. That's what it's all about.

So, when that, I didn't, I don't think that's how that song goes but that's sort of like it. Colossians three five through 17 is what we're going to look at today and we went to Guatemala on a mission trip. Tanya and pass Tanya. Nope. Not Pascal.

Tanya and I and Midge and Michelle and Sammy La Bounta all went down to Guatemala and we were able to be involved in what Esperanza de Vida, our hope of life, is doing down there. It was fantastic. We did some feeding people who are absolutely destitute at the time of real drought down there, and so places that are normally... Their wells are fine and their springs are fine. But it's been so dry for so long that the wells are basically drying up.

So we're doing food distribution and that's a different kind of ministry for... It's it's hard to see and most of it was received with great joy and enthusiasm but I will say this, would you pray for a little community called Juan de San Tomas, Juan de Juan de San Tomas, John of Saint Thomas. Probably a saint at some point this little community is named for but it was the darkest place spiritually speaking that I've been in a long time and it kinda hung with with all of us a bit. Within six, seven miles from there, we had some of the best VBS I've ever seen and great ministry among kids and distribution. But that little community needs Jesus and it's a it's a hard thing to see and and and drive away from.

So anyway, what we can do from here, I would like for y'all to be praying for Juan de Santo Tomas. And then, it was great. So, I was, we were feeding the poor in Guatemala and then last weekend, late Saturday night, I was doing a wedding in Paradise Valley, Scottsdale, Arizona. So, being fed by the rich. That's the way it goes.

That's the way this week and a half has gone. We were gone but Colossians three five through 17 starts off with it therefore, obviously. We have to go back and look. It's been three weeks since y'all heard anything straight up from Colossians. So, I'm going to let this wash over me as y'all let it wash over you.

Imma read chapter two without preaching through it, I hope. Just reading chapter two of Colossians is like this. For I want you to know, Colossians, how great a struggle I've had on your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea, for all those who've not personally seen my face. Y'all haven't seen those folks in Juan De Santo Tomas but just hearing it, I can see the agony on your faces like, what would it be like to not be able to have food? What would it be like?

So y'all are already experiencing someone. It's a struggle. It's a struggle to know that that all is not right in the world and to know the one who will make it right. Right? All those who've not personally seen my face that their hearts may be encouraged, haven't been knit together in love, that they would attain to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding resulting in true knowledge of God's mystery, that is Christ Himself in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

And I say this that no one will deceive you with persuasive arguments. For even though I'm absent in the body, I'm nevertheless with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your orderly manner and the stability of your faith in Christ. Therefore, just as you received him, just as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk it out, walk it out, so be walking in him. Having been firmly rooted and now being built up in him and established in your faith just as you were instructed, overflowing with gratitude, see to it that no one that there is no one who takes you captive through philosophy, the persuasive arguments earlier in six. See to it that there's no one who takes you captive through philosophy or empty deception in accordance with just mere human tradition, in accordance with the elementary principles of this world.

Have you all noticed that the ways of the world are the ways of the world all over the world? Sneaky underhanded whatever is all over. Looking out for number one is the norm for human beings. Looking out for the neighbor is not the norm for human beings. No matter what you've heard about the noble savage.

Okay? We benefit when we look out for one another. We do. In accordance with the elementary principle of the world rather than in accordance with Christ. Christ, for in him, all the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form and in him, you have been made complete and he's the head over every ruler and every authority and in him, you are also circumcised with the circumcision performed without hands.

He has made you holy in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ having been buried with him in baptism, buried with Christ in which you were also raised to walk in newness of life. You were also raised with him through faith in the working of God who raised him from the dead. When you were dead in your wrongdoings and uncircumcision of flesh, he made you alive together with him. Having forgiven us all our wrongdoings. Can you get an amen right there?

Isn't it great to not be under the burden of your own sin? It's amazing. If you get that, you get it. Deep breath. Thank you, Lord.

He made you alive together with him, having forgiven us our wrongdoings, having canceled the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us which was hostile to us, and he's taken it out of the way. He's nailed it to the cross. When he had disarmed the rulers and authorities, he made a public display of them having triumphed over them through him. So therefore, no one's to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or respect to festival, new moon, Sabbath day, things which are only a shadow of what is to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. When we sing, I speak the name of Jesus over you.

It is not just Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. We're saying, we're we're speaking out what matters most. Whether you understand it or not, Jesus matters the most. His name being above all other names. He walked it out perfectly and he's offering you that record so that you can stand up straight, take a deep breath, unburdened by your sin, and be able to walk it out.

These things are only a shadow of what's to come but the substance belongs to Christ. Take care that no one keeps on defrauding you of your prize by delighting in humility and the worship of angels, taking a stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, and not holding firmly to the head from whom the entire body being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments grows with the growth which is from God. The head is Christ. If you've died with Christ to the elementary principles of this world, why as if you were living in the world do you submit yourself to these decrees such as do not handle, do not taste, do not touch, which all refer to things destined to perish with use in accordance with the commands and the teachings of men. These are matters which do have the appearance of wisdom and some sort of self made religion.

If you see a guy who's literally carrying his cross and he's walking up Snow King and he's dragging that thing behind him, there's a little bit of you think, man, that guy's got some gumption. I wonder where he came from, where and where he's going. But it's of no value, this says. No value against fleshly indulgence. Flagellating yourself, beating yourself up is of no value.

Aceticism is not the way. Christ is the way. Amen. Thank you, Jeff. Thank you, Blake.

Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep on seeking the things that are above. Set your mind on things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth. For you have died and your life is hidden in Christ with God. And when Christ who is our life is revealed, then also you will be revealed with Him in glory.

Set your mind on things that are above. Therefore, treat the parts of your earthly body as dead to sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which all amounts to idolatry. Anything that gets in front of God is idolatry. Right? Have no other gods before me.

You can make any one of those things your God. They amount to idolatry because it's getting the emphasis on the wrong syllable. Okay. Why? Well, he's going to answer that.

He did answer that. For you have died. You're buried with Christ. You're dead to that. He says it in Galatians this way about himself.

I have been crucified with Christ in tandem. Y'all seen the tandem paragliders? Tandem crucifixion is what that what that word literally means. I have been crucified in tandem with Christ. It's no longer I who live but it's Christ.

The resurrected Christ is what lives in me. The life which I now live in this flesh, I live by the faith in the son of God who loved me, gave himself up for me. For it's because of these things that the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience. That's judgment, future judgment. It's on its way and it's coming because those other things still do exist.

But they shouldn't exist in the life of a believer. They shouldn't. We're tempted and we drag around this old man with us, but this is saying those were things of the... And let me let let me let... Just let Paul say it.

Alright? For it's because of these things that the wrath of God is coming to the sons of Jesus. In them you also once walked. This was normal to you because you were normal human being. Normal human beings and normal way of the world is that way.

And if you don't believe it, Madison Avenue does. How do they try to sell stuff to you? By telling you how virtuous it is? Almost never. In them, you also once what?

When you were living in them, these things, which things? Sexual or immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed. And I could go into it, but if I went into one of them, y'all know what sexual immorality is. Yeah. If you're thinking about that one that somebody else struggles with, think about the one you struggle with.

Okay? Sexual immorality, impurity can go a lots of different directions. Passion, passion for whatever cause that's not God's cause. Zeal but zeal in the wrong direction. Evil desire, warnings, and greed, wanting something that you don't have.

All of that amounts to it. If in them you also want. So, while you were living in them, while you were living in them, that was a thing of the past. So, in short, these are the things of the world. I threw my arm out preaching one time and it was on this verse right here.

I had to go home and get it fixed. I had a bad anterior labrum and I was saying the progressive nature of Greek action, present tense action verbs, you cannot be loving the things of the world and this is where it popped out and loving the things of God at the same time. They're going in different directions, okay? Don't be loving the things of the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the father is not in them.

It's going two different directions. For all that's in the world, The lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, boastful pride of life. It's not from the father but it's from the world and the world is passing away along with its lust and we saw just a second ago and the wrath of God is coming on disobedience right there too. The world is passing away and also it's lust but the one who does the will of God, the one who walks it out continues to live forever but now also rid yourselves of all of these things and he adds to the list here. Anger, wrath, malice, slander, obscene speech from your mouth.

That's as close as the Bible gets to say, quit cussing, alright? And it kind of does say that. Obscene speech from your mouth. Anger, normal human reaction, so normal that when The Bible says, be angry but sin not. It recognizes that you can't help it when anger hits you but you can't help what you do with it.

Wrath is more intense. Wrath is a feeling of righteous indignation and absolute anger towards something. Okay? Now, God perfectly merciful and absolutely full of wrath against disobedience. That's hard but it's also true.

There's the way of the world and there's the way of God and God's offering a very peaceful solution. He's offering fantastic terms. Rid yourselves of all of them. Anger, wrath, malice, slander. The reason he could say this is because you're in Christ, right?

Because these things were things of the past for you but you don't have to live in them. Anger, wrath, malice. Malice is ill will for someone else. I hope that guy gets hit by a bus. That's malice.

Slander. That guy ought to get hit by the bus. He's such and such and and such. It's saying something bad. Unless you write it down, then it's liable.

Obscene speech from your mouth, ugliness, filthiness, locker room talk, dirty talk. Get rid of that. Rid yourselves of all of manger wrath mouth slander and obscene speech from your mouth. Now, don't lie. He's he he's going on.

Don't lie. That's the way the world works. Fudge the truth. Anybody that's got confirmation bias and agrees with you will agree with you still. He who's convinced against his will is unconvinced still.

Don't lie. Just tell the truth. Let your yay be yay. Your nay be nay. Don't lie to one another.

It doesn't help. Why? Since you stripped off the old self with its evil practices. Now, this is the place where it's starting to make references to taking off, doffing, and donning. Right?

Take off this and put on that. Put on that is coming next. Do not lie to one another. Since you stripped off the old self with its evil practices, that's a thing in the past. You don't need to keep doing that and you've put on the new self.

So, you've taken off like a garment, stripped out of that stuff, and put on the new self which is, isn't this great? Being renewed. And it sounds passive but it's a divine passive. God is the one who is doing the renewing. He's offering this even through this text.

He's offering this to you. So, the new self which is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the one who created it. Don't you think God knows better than anybody else what he's using sexuality for? Don't you think that God knows better than anybody else what he's using entrepreneurial spirit for? Don't you think that he knows how you are wired and don't you think he knows what he wants to do with you and he's established the steps?

Yes. So, the new self is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the one who created it, a renewal in which there's no distinction between Greek and Jew. This he's writing to a primarily Greek audience right here but he's definitely got some Jewish influence that has been happening around based on what he said before and based on what he'll say next but there's a a renewal that draws us into the body of Christ and in that body of Christ, there's no Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, immaterial, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free. What? A big difference that is.

In that time and in ours. He's saying there is no distinction between these groups. You've been called out of and into. You've been called out of a whole bunch of different things but into the body of Christ and in the body of Christ, Christ is all. He's all in all.

I heard a Scottish preacher this week and he said, if I had to describe in one word what this passage is about, I would say the allness of Christ and yes, I made the word up. All in all, Christ is all but Christ is all and he's in all and to recognize in the body of Christ that Christ is all and he's in all, it makes you more attentive to the other person, makes you more attentive to the spirit using the other person. It makes you more appreciative of other people. So, he's in all of those. Greek and Jews, circumcised, uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian slave, and free and you may have a denominational preference.

Oh my goodness. God's still using those other ones too. The new self is being renewed by God to a true knowledge according to the image of the one who created. He's the one who knows what he's doing. So, therefore, so, as those who have been chosen of God, I can't tell you how many weddings I've done this passage right here in.

This is, I started it with actually Blake and Bailey's wedding. I think it was the first time I ever used this passage and it hits me just square as it can every time. If you have to boil down love for another, and it's about the body of Christ, it's not just husbands and wives. Okay? So then, and I often will say, Blake and Bailey, right?

As the... Not every time because they're not get married every time. But I'll say, I'm going to add three words to this, alright? And it's groom and bride. So then, as those who have been chosen of God, think about that.

Though you were not holy, he has made you holy. Whether you knew it or not, you are beloved. Be putting on. Again, progressive nature of action verbs and imperative verbs. Be putting on what?

Light garments. Oh, this is another one. Sinclair Ferguson was our pastor when we were in South Carolina. And I went back and listened to his message on this and it was called wearing clothes that fit. It made me linger in the closet this morning to make sure I didn't have on anything that was too tight or too worn out.

Wearing clothes that fit. You ought not be wearing those clothes that don't fit you anymore. Be putting on a heart of compassion. Does that describe Jesus? It does.

Should it describe us? It should. So, be putting on a heart of compassion. Be putting on a heart of kindness. Do you know that it is the kindness of God that leads people to repentance?

It's not a picket line of mean, smart aleck sayings. It's not... You can't argue somebody into the kingdom. You can give a defense for the hope that is in you, and it can be very kind to do that. Put on a heart of compassion and of kindness and of humility.

God resists the proud, but he gives grace to the humble and of gentleness. Do all of those describe Christ? They do. Should they describe us? They should.

Be putting on a heart of compassion and it's it's her. Be putting it on. A heart of compassion, of kindness, of humility, of gentleness, and of patience. Bearing with one another. If you don't have patience, it is very hard to bear with one another.

Bearing with one another. All of us have limitations. And when you're really strong in one area and you... You'll see that limitation in everybody you meet when you're really strong in that area. Be bearing with one another.

Perhaps they have a gift you have not considered yet. Right? Be bearing with one another. What a glorious thing that is. And be forgiving each other.

If I have fifteen minutes to talk to somebody about Christianity, forgiveness is gonna be thirteen minutes probably because forgiveness bought with the blood of Christ. It's amazing. That is Christianity. It is being set free from the penalty of your own sin. Just like he says, cancel the debt that was against you.

It was hostile towards you when you were hostile towards God. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. If you're going to emulate forgiveness the way that God forgives, you're willing to make the first step. Leaning towards someone with mercy and grace. Whether they ever come to you or not, doesn't matter.

Forgiveness is good for you. Unforgiveness, poison pill that you take and expect the other person to die. Bearing with one another, forgiving each other. Whoever has a complaint against anyone, brother, sister, family, oh my goodness, family stuff. There was a lady in our home church that I heard her talk about a...

Honestly, I don't remember who it was, sister, cousin, brother, whatever it was. Somebody took the hall tree after so and so died. The hall tree. You know what a hall tree is? The place where you hang your hats and coats.

Somebody took that after somebody died. It split the family. What in the world? I told you about my buddy who was preaching in church. He used the wrong communion set and they fired him.

Bearing with one another. He was new. He didn't know. Forgiving him. Whoever has any complaint against anyone, it says anyone, believer, non believer.

Forgive him. Let it go. Just as the Lord forgave you, so must you do also. I mean, when Jesus was asked about teach us to pray, this is a big part of teach us to pray. I want you to forgive me the way I forgive them.

Just as the Lord forgave you, so must you do also, Christian. In addition to all these things, be putting on love. Ah, that in Hebrew, that type of love. It's agape in Greek but it's a translation of in Hebrew, you all know Steve Gilmore? He's a pastor over on the other side of the hill but he lives here and he drives a little Subaru Outback Wilderness and on the front and the back plate of his car, it says, he said.

He says, I just like knowing I'm surrounded by the sticky love of God. It goes before me, it comes after me. I want to remember that while I'm sitting in the love of God. I want to know that so I can share it with other people. In addition to all these things put on Hasid, it's a multifaceted term.

It's used frequently in the Old Testament. It's often translated as loving kindness, mercy, steadfast love, or faithfulness. Steve, like I said, calls it sticky love. God is pursuing. In English translations of the Bible, the the term encompasses a range of meanings, loyalty, covenant, faithfulness, kindness, and love.

And if you've got that kind of love for your brothers and sisters in Christ and leaning out with mercy towards the rest of the world, this grows the kingdom. It grows you. It gives grace and life to them. It's amazing. Has said is a central theological concept.

In the Hebrew scriptures, just like Agape is in the New Testament. So, Agape in in this particular place, so that's what it is because it's it's form but selfless love, self effacing others focused kind of love. It characterizes God's relationship with humanity through Jesus Christ. He shows how he is and how Jesus walked it out. The New Testament writers emphasize God's steadfast love and mercy as seen all over.

His great love is rich mercy. So in addition to all these things, put on that self effacing, others focused kind of love. So rid yourself of all these things if you need a chart and be putting on all of these. It is a taking off and putting on just like garments. And if it helps you to think of it like that, you're taking off your dirty clothes and you're putting on your clean clothes.

Tanya will often reprimand me when she sees me come back from town. You are the pastor of the church. And I know you were just going to Napa, but how long have you been gone? You're not dressed for that, man. Van said last week he was up here and he looked down and he said, I got all my work britches.

They don't really care. They'd rather have the heart, I know that. But you know, ladies and gentlemen, you know how this goes. Tanya's grandmother used to write, Yard only in the back of her grandfather's pants. You're a doctor for crying out loud, don't go to work like that.

Take off your dirty clothes, put on your clean clothes. In addition to all these things, be putting on love which is the perfect bond of unity. There it is again. I feel like y'all think this is Ray's message. Oh, Ray's always about unity.

Oh, it's on every single page of the Bible. Unity is what it's about. Unity, union with Christ should bring unity in the church. God loves through Christ. He's reaching every tribe, tongue, and nation, and there's some very different cultural backgrounds and very different personal dispositions, but union with Christ should bring about unity in the body of Christ and sadly, is that the state we see ourselves in?

I mean, be the church you want to see in the world. Be unified. You don't have to be uniform but be unified. Take these off. Put these on.

And here we go. Let rule. This is this is the way this verse starts off. So let rule. Point of grammatical order here.

And the word nerds in the room, I see a couple of them here. That word right there. Sorry. That one. It actually is the present active imperative.

So, it's an imperative. It's a command but it's a third person command. Have you ever heard of a third person command in English? We don't do this. If I say, you, Bill, you know, you do this thing.

In fact, in this case, it would be you umpire the situation. You are the ref for this situation. But this is a third person command and it's to a thing. God, Paul's writing it down but God is saying, something should be the umpire. Something should be the referee.

Something should confirm. And this is what it is. Let what? The peace of Christ rule in your hearts. Oh, he's commanding the peace of Christ to rule in your hearts and that's God speaking through Paul but he's commanding that and we translating into English because we don't do third person commands.

Let the peace, it's allowed that to happen. God's trying. He's saying, he's knocking. He wants in. He wants the peace to rule in your hearts.

Okay? It's there and available but it has to be accepted with humility and if you stand in pride and say, no, I will not be moved. I'm going to keep this opinion no matter what Jesus says. There's no peace there. There's anger there.

There's probably wrath there. There's malice and slander for everybody else but there's no peace there. So, let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts. Let the peace of Christ to which you were called into one body, unity, every page, mostly, every verse somehow. He's saying, you are called out of that affiliation and into one body.

Now, peace of Christ rule over that situation. Amen. Unity. There it is again. Union with Christ should bring unity in the church.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts and be thankful. Be thankful. That's great. Gratitude reminds me of Thessalonians five where it says, this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus that you be thankful. It also says avoid sexual immorality but be thankful.

Let dwell. Same situation. Third person command. Let dwell is the verb, and there it is. It's easier to say than whatever that other one was.

Present active impaired third person singular. So it is a constant command indwell. Something that's properly... It's dwelling in a state or condition. It is inhabiting as it's living in your home and so what he's saying is let the word of Christ.

Word of Christ dwell within these folks. The word of Christ dwell in the Colossians. Word of Christ dwell in these folks who came to first be this morning. Word of the word of God, the word of Christ dwell within you. We need to be gospeling each other all the time.

Gospel in each other. What's the good word, man? You know, what's the good word? God is good. All the time.

All the time. God is good. We need to be gospel in each other. Bring the gospel into every situation. If the word is dwelling in our hearts richly, we'll be equipped to be gospel in each other, to have a word for it.

Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you with all wisdom. Oh, may it be so, lord. Would you make us wise? You do that through your word. Would you make us wise?

Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you with all wisdom, with all teaching, what? And admonishing each other. Teaching, I'm teaching. Woo hoo. I might have been admonishing some too, right?

Admonishing is when you're getting on to somebody. That's why we'd say it in Georgia. Whoo. He got on to you. Teaching and admonishing.

It's calling somebody out. It's a a rebuke whether it's mild or more than that. It's saying, hey, brother. That's an error. What you're walking in right there?

Pray about it. Think about it. Consider it. I'm in all humility. I'm I'm not saying it because I'm a bad guy.

I'm saying it because it feels like you're walking outside the lines here. Paul's doing that to us right now. Take off and put on. Don't act like that. Admonishing one another.

How? With Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. I could break em down but y'all know what they are. Psalms. Psalms, there are 150 of em in the Bible.

There are others that are meditations on how good God is, right? Hymns. Oh, there's so much wisdom in the hymn book and the Psalms were the hymn book for those Israelites and Paul in Philippians two and probably another time in Colossians, he's bringing up new hymns, singing to the Lord a new song but something that people can sing together and we can get behind, right? Amazing grace. How sweet the sound?

That sort of thing and then spiritual songs. Oh my goodness. There's so much application and songs, my goodness. They just help. So, Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.

Be singing them how with thankfulness. In your hearts to God always. I have fairly severe ADD and I always have a song in my heart. If you ask me walking down the hall, it could be for many possible era but be singing it with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Take away from it the truth that's in it and whatever you do in word or deed, whatever you do, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus and if you feel it, oh, I can't do that in the name of the Lord Jesus, then I'll be doing it.

Giving thanks through him to God the father. I'm going to invite the band come back up and I'm just going to ask y'all if you would stand and pray. The altar is always open. If you're thinking, man, I've been I've been wearing some dirty rags around and I want to get rid of some of that stuff. I'm here all week.

We can talk about it anytime but the altar is open if you want to just deal with the Lord. If you need a little bit of the the body supporting you in prayer as you do so, it's always open. In Jesus name, lord, we ask you that you would do what... Do your job, Holy Spirit, that you'd convict us of sin and convince us of the righteousness of God, that you would draw us away from that path, and that you would replace it with a walking in the steps that you have for us. In Jesus' name, may we be ready to testify in everything that we do and everything that we say.

In Jesus' name, amen.