Amen. Let us turn to our Thanksgiving text this morning, Colossians chapter 3, page 1000. 1,253 in the Bibles under the seats. And we'll look especially at verses 12 to 17, but we'll read from verse 1 of Colossians chapter 3. Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Colossians chapter 3, we begin our reading at verse 1. If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God, Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Put to death, therefore, what is earthly in you, sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked when you were living in them, but now you must put them all away. Anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices, and have put on the new self which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free, but Christ is all and in all. Put on then as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. bearing with one another, and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other, as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on 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, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts 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. So far the reading, the grass withers, the flower fades, the word of our Lord endures forever. Dear congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, in this brief letter from the Apostle Paul to the church in Colossae, there are many words about Thanksgiving. The Apostle begins with an expression of thankfulness that he has upon hearing about the faith of Christ's people there in Colossae. speaks of that in chapter 1, verse 3, in chapter 1, verse 12. And then he speaks about the faith which is rooted in Jesus Christ that is abounding in thanksgiving. That's his language in chapter 2, verse 7. And then at the start of chapter 4, the apostle in chapter 4, verse 2, talks about the call of the church to continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. And all of this surrounds the language of our text, which is full of language of Thanksgiving. And so even our sermon title, Be Thankful, with thankfulness, giving thanks, it comes straight from the language of verses 15 to 17. Look at the words, be thankful. These are the last two words of verse 15. With thankfulness in your hearts to God. Those are the last words of verse 16. And giving thanks to God the Father through Him, Jesus Christ, being the last words of verse 17. So brothers and sisters, this is an appropriate letter and an appropriate place to turn on a Thanksgiving morning. We do so with this theme together. To live with thanks to God which spills over in every sphere of life. And then you See the outline in the bulletins. If you have them, be thankful in forgiving fellowship, verses 12 to 15. With thankfulness and true encouragement, verse 16. Giving thanks in everyday life, verse 17. And as you can see from the verse divisions, we'll spend a little more time on our first point. see, brothers and sisters, that there is the contrast between the vices listed, the things that the believer must put off. We see especially in verse 5 and verse 8 these vice lists. And now we have the virtues, the things which we are to put on as God's people. But before the Apostle even gives the list of virtues, we're reminded of what God said to his people in Leviticus chapter 20. Be holy for I am holy. And so before even getting into the virtues, the Apostle says at the start of verse 12, put on then as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved. And then he goes into the virtue list, beginning with compassionate hearts. The word hearts, brothers and sisters, reminding us that that virtue, Christian virtue, is always to be at the heart level. It's not just an outward show. It's not just the words we say or the look on our face. It is to be a very attitude of our heart. And then in addition to compassion, we have kindness, humility, meekness and patience. And these are not, brothers and sisters, individual traits that are just here and there. and one goes this way and one goes that way. No, these are traits that are linked together. If you have one, you'll have the other. They go together. If you are compassionate, that is closely linked together with being kind. If you have humility, then that will demonstrate itself in attitudes of meekness and patience. And then as we go into verse 13, the Apostle explains the forgiveness, the forgiving attitude we are to have, and we see how bearing with each other and forgiving each other are certainly very closely linked attributes of the Christian life. And then what binds all of this together? Where does love fit in? Well, love is not another link in the chain. No, when we get to verse 14, we see that love is the virtue that links together everything else. It's the binding agent that pulls all the Christian virtues together. That is the task of love and so we're reminded that that love is the very summary of the law of God. In two parts, love God, love your neighbor. And brothers and sisters, as the apostles put some emphasis and some explanation on forgiveness in verse 13, we'll kind of slow down and we'll zoom in on that forgiveness. forgiveness is to have a special place in the body of Christ. And certainly this, again, this whole letter is addressed to the church as most of the New Testament is directly addressed to one church or another. The Christian community, all of the you and the your and all of the verbs are plural in this whole text. You all, all of your, all of you, what, in the church, in the church at Colossae, but then all the saints in any church, forgiveness is to have a special place in our relationship with each other. Even though we are the people of Christ and we are to be putting on virtues every day, our sanctification is only just beginning. So we're going to still be what? Very far from perfect. And so we're going to have all kinds of ways that we have to bear with each other and forgive each other. This is to be the mark of God's people. And then we can also think not just about the daily and weekly bearing with and forgiving of each other, but We could think also in a bigger scale. What about if someone has committed gross sins and then at first there's no repentance and so they are not part of the body of Christ, but then they would desire repenting of their sins to come back into the fold, to come back into the body of Christ. Then what is to be our attitude? We are to be forgiving people. There is an account from many years ago, and I heard this from the Presbyterian minister Dale Ralph Davies, which serves as a powerful picture of the attitude of forgiveness that we are to have in the church. And he speaks about a time when, this was some time ago, when communication was more difficult and long distance travel was more difficult unless you were on a train. But some time ago, I think in the 1800s, there was a young man who went to prison for shameful and gross crimes. And he's in prison for some years and he has very limited contact with his family over those years. But a time comes when he is released from prison. And he writes one last letter back to his family. And he says, I'm taking the train back towards home soon. And I will be on the train and going past our home on this day. And I know how much shame I have caused and how much grief I have caused. And I hope that you can forgive me and receive me back into the family. And so if you will receive me back, put a white ribbon on the old apple tree by the train tracks. And if I see that ribbon, as I go past, I'll get off at the station and I will come home. But I understand if you cannot forgive me. And if I do not see the ribbon, I will stay on the train and you will never have to see me again." Well, the young man had a very heavy heart on this train ride. And there was an older man sitting next to him who saw how distraught he was and got the story from the young man. And so as they're approaching the young man's hometown, finally the young man says, I cannot bear to look at the tree. Could you, sir, please look out the window for me? And finally, they pass the tree and the older man turns to the young man and says, son, you can go home. The whole tree is full of white ribbons. It is, brothers and sisters, a picture of the forgiving attitude, whatever the sins, whatever the situation that we are to have as God's people. as the body of Christ, which is the language of this text, as the family of faith, which is the repeated description of God's people. We are the family of faith. Wherever there is repentance, we are to be God's forgiving people. Because indeed, we have been forgiven. Because we have all committed gross sins. Which one of us perfectly puts on compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience? Which one of us, looking ahead to the text, does everything for the glory of Jesus Christ in His name and giving thanks to Him? We don't do a single thing in a perfectly right way. We are to have forgiving attitudes because we are all sinners with an unpayable debt of sin that Christ only has paid for us. Forgive one another as you also have been forgiven. The end of verse 13, as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And certainly, brothers and sisters, all of this is tied together in Christ Himself. Verse 15, And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts. Who is the only one who is perfectly compassionate and kind? It is Jesus Christ. Who is the one who is perfectly humble and meek, inviting weary sinners to himself with these words, come to me for I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls. It is Jesus Christ. And who is it that perfectly forgives sinners and pays for your sin so that it is forgiven? It is Jesus Christ who hangs not ribbons in a tree, but hangs His body on the tree, so that by His sacrifice we are set free. As you have been forgiven, so may we be forgiving people. And then all of this, brothers and sisters, repenting of our sins, trusting in Him, everything tied together in the peace of Christ and His perfect love by which He laid down His life for us. 1 John 3.16, by this we know love that He laid down His life for us. Certainly all of this, brothers and sisters, brings us to gratitude. So verse 15 ends, and be thankful. And be thankful, including the grateful profession of our faith in Christ Jesus, who is our Prince of Peace. And again, how appropriate it is to even have a profession of faith on a Thanksgiving Day service. Brothers and sisters, we come now to verse 16, our second point, with thankfulness in true encouragement. Reading verse 16 again, let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing another in all wisdom. How is it that we can keep a healthy focus on how we should live, and how to encourage one another, and how to admonish one another, and how to be thankful with each other? Well, we're not just thankful for anything, no, we're thankful for forgiveness of sins, we're thankful for virtue as we're being sanctified in Christ and it is the the Word of Christ which teaches us how to be wise, that it would dwell in you richly. Consider the words of the psalmist in Psalm 119 verses 10 and 11. With my whole heart I seek you, let me not wander from your commandments. I have stored up your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. The Holy Scriptures teach us how we can do good. The Holy Scriptures teach us why we should do good. The Holy Scriptures teach us what good things we are to do. There is no book like the Bible itself. There is no sword of change like God's Holy Word. There is no rod and staff of comfort like God's Holy Word. Remembering that the broader context is about sins to put off and virtues to put on. We are not surprised that we see the word admonish here in verse 16. We are to admonish one another. But there is teaching and admonishing one another that can certainly have a note of encouragement and thanksgiving. Consider how the apostle began his theme of thanksgiving through this letter back in chapter 1 verse 3. We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus. And so, brothers and sisters, it is a thankfulness that we are to have as an attitude in our teaching and admonishing and encouraging one another. When we see compassion, kindness, we ought to build one another up in the wisdom of God's holy word and encourage one another in these things. There is one specific way that you can do this in every single worship service and that is, how does verse 16 end? Singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God." And brothers and sisters, the Apostle, as we'll especially see moving into the next verse, the Apostle's talking about all of life. He's not only speaking about corporate worship here in the way that some other chapters like Hebrews chapter 12 are speaking especially about our corporate worship together, but certainly the church is also especially in view. This is all to the you all of the church in Colossae. He's just talked about how you were called in one body in verse 15. What body is that? The body of Christ, the church of Jesus Christ. And so he's not only saying sing in worship together, but that's certainly part of what's going on here. Sing together in worship. That's one of the ways that we encourage and admonish one another. And certainly when we're paying attention, there are admonishments within the songs that we sing, especially when we sing the Psalms together. The Psalms are are so deep and rich and they don't pull any punches either. They're also very strong in how they encourage us in what to do and how to think and how to confess our sins and all of these things. And so when we sing together godly and wise hymns and even especially those psalms, which are the Holy Spirit given songbook. Brothers and sisters, this is one way that we are teaching and admonishing each other. We should pay attention to those words as we're singing them together. It's a starting point. It's a first place of encouragement in many ways. And then, not only in our corporate worship, but in in everyday life. William Hendrickson once put it this way, quote, it has been said that next to scripture itself, a good Psalter hymnal is the richest fountain of Christian edification. They serve as a very effective vehicle for the outpouring of confession of sin, gratitude, spiritual joy, whether sung in the regular worship service on the Lord's Day, in connection with family worship, or privately." Brothers and sisters, I hope we seriously sing together. Again, considering the words that we're singing with and to each other. I also encourage you to not just turn on whatever might be on the radio, but to have psalms and hymns and spiritual songs as part of your daily life. Even think of the very youngest. What's really the first way that a young person can start to grab hold of family devotions? It's when we sing together. It's really the first thing that a young person can grab hold of and take joy in. We are to be encouraging one another in all wisdom and singing, brothers and sisters, is a special way we can do this, highlighted by the Apostle here. And then again, what do we see? How does his thought end? Again, with an emphasis on thankfulness. With thankfulness, end of verse 16, in your hearts to God. Now we come to verse 17, our third point. And even as there's been some special focus on the life of the church together, the Apostle makes it very clear he's talking about everyday life also, and every sphere of life. Now the whole illustration, the whole illustration, which is the background here in chapter 3, tells us that already. That language of put on, put off, we see it repeatedly. Verse 10, verse 12, the verses before, that whole language of put on, put off, the word in the Greek, it's related especially to putting on and putting off clothing. Now what is that? What is the putting on and putting off of clothing? That's something you do every day, right? At least I hope so. It's not something you take a break from. You don't say, well, I'm not gonna put on my clothes for today. And so, brothers and sisters, it's a picture of the everyday life, the everyday decision that we should have in putting off vice and putting on virtue. We can't say, well, I'll be kind Tuesday through Sunday, but Mondays are hard. I'm not going to be kind on Monday. We can't say my compassion tank is empty now, so I'm not going to be compassionate anymore. No, just like we make a decision to put our clothes on every day, so we are called to put on Christian virtue every day. You can't take a break from it. And then, even as the whole illustration takes us into everyday life, now the Apostle makes it explicitly clear, verse 17, and whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus. Brothers and sisters, we are to be thankful to God. We are to be putting off sin and putting on grateful virtue and service. This is everyday every part of life, everything, stuff. In the following verses, the Apostle applies it to our everyday relationships. Verses 18 and 19, the relationship between husband and wife. Verses 20 and 21, the relationship between children and parents. Verses 22 to chapter 4 verse 1, the relationship between servants and masters, which You know, they didn't have employers and employees back then. They had a slave system in Rome, which wasn't the worst, but certainly had problems and reasons to improve. But the point being, it's the language of your everyday relationships that any person in ancient Rome was in. Every relationship, every part of your life, you are to think in these godly ways. Not that it's a complete list of do's and don'ts. That's simply not possible. Think about everything you do. Every song you listen to, every book you read, every movie you watch, every website you visit, every article you read, every work you do, every meal you have. I mean this is everything. And we couldn't have just a list of do's and don'ts. It would simply not be possible. The Bible can't give us a list of, here's songs released on the radio in 2024. You can listen to these. You can't listen to these. What does the Bible do? The Bible gives us the virtues and the undergirding principles for everyday life. But look again at verse 17. And look at how we can turn the two commands into two helpful questions for everything we do. Do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Okay, so now take those two things and turn them into a question for everything you do. Let's just say you're picking up a book to read. First question, before I start this book, can I say that I'm going to read this in the name of Jesus Christ? Second, when the book is finished, can I give thanks to God for this book that I just read? These are two questions that we can ask for everything we do. Can I say that I'm going to this party in the name of Jesus Christ? And when I leave, can I give thanks to God for it? Some parties you can, some parties you can't. Some books you can, some books you can't. You just have to walk past the new release aisle and glance at the cover of the new release aisle in the library to know there's some books you should never even pick up. Sometimes maybe you have to get into a little farther and say, thank you, Lord, for giving me the discernment not to finish this book. And then you put it down. But these are two questions that we can ask ourselves in everything that we do. Can I do this in the name of the Lord? Can I listen to this song on the radio in the name of the Lord? And when it's done, can I give thanks to the Lord for it? And we all know that with a clear conscience, there are songs that we could not start and end in that way. Because there's a lot of trash out there. And we can work through everything else. And then, not just the media we consume in our leisure, but then we can take these questions into our work. Am I doing this work in the name of the Lord? And can I give thanks for the work that I've done today? And you know, maybe you go to work and you were not as diligent as you should have been that day. And you know that I can't give thanks the way I should because I don't want to say that I was lazy in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. And I don't want to give thanks to the Lord for laziness. You see, these are questions that we can ask in everything that we do. Did I do this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ? And when I'm done, can I give thanks to the Lord for the work I've had, the leisure I've had, the media I've consumed, everything. Everything. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus. And then, brothers and sisters, to to give the positive side. Well, there's certainly books and songs and leisure and family leisure and fellowship and parties, celebrations, and work. There's all these things that we can give thanks for and we can do in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord is always good, and He has given us many good things to do. He has given us all kinds of opportunities every day to put on the Christian virtues that He lays out before us, that He alone is the perfect example of, but that He calls us into and to grow in. On the positive side, we all know that there are many kinds of activities and work for which we can and should give thanks and do in His name everything that we do. And so people of God, the text ends, the third thought in a row ends with this emphasis of thanksgiving. The end of verse 17, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Him, Jesus Christ, again, the Prince of Peace who pulls it all together, who alone lived these virtues perfectly, who is the very Savior of our souls. Oh, brothers and sisters, there is much to be thankful for. May our whole life be thanksgiving to God. Amen. Let us pray. Lord, our Lord, we do give thanks for everything, for meals that we can eat in your name, giving thanks for good food and fellowship, for work that we can do, for leisure, which we can do in your name, Lord, for everything and especially for...