This is a sermon that begins our new series, Vision and Values, Simple and Sincere Worshippers, Colossians 3:16-17. You can watch more here.
If you are new this morning, we typically go verse by verse through a book of the bible, but
this morning we are going to go through a series on our vision and values as a church
family, because have you noticed how easy it is to drift in life?
Like when we start to work out and trying to eat healthier. We all start off so excited! We
get a gym membership. We get work-out clothes! We start meal planning. We start telling
our friends, “Oh, I am so sore, you now, from my work out!”
But have you noticed how easy it is to drift off course with our physical health? January,
February…March! Is this getting too close to home? A couple of meals with chips and
queso. A couple of alcoholic beverages. A couple of times when we don’t go to the gym, and
even though we spend months putting in the work, in just 3-weeks we can drift like it never
happened.
Well, in a similar way a church in north Austin can drift off course, therefore, we have to be
doggedly committed to owning the vision and values of our church family. It can’t just be
2-3 people who really embrace it, but everyone in this room have to own it, and let’s be
honest, we are at a point in history where people are struggling to embrace ownership. Do
you see this?
People are skeptical of organizations. Skeptical of leadership. More guarded. More likely
to keep something at a distance, because we’ve been burned by people in leadership.
Especially in the church. We have too many stories of pastors who are living double lives.
I will do a joke sometimes in my stand up where I will tell the room I am a pastor, people
will look uncomfortable, and then I will say, “You don’t need to be nervous.” I am not a
pedophile. Listen, that’s a problem when the general public knows that reference about
pastors, so I get it, it’s an easy time to be skeptical.
Corporations have lost our trust. Politicians have lost our trust, so as a people we are very
guarded, slow to warm, and I wish I could tell you to take your time, but at our size, we kind
of need to take a risk, ask your questions, do your due diligence, and then lean into
ownership of our non-denominational church in Austin, so that when new people walk in,
you might only be here 2-3 months, but you can say, “Welcome, what’s your name, what do
you want to know?”
In fact, let’s pray right now, “Jesus, you’ve brought us together. You’re doing a work in the
lives of these people, therefore, we ask you to move in these next 30 minutes, so that there are
men and women who are struck with this sense of clarity, conviction, and boldness to say, ‘I
don’t want to just attend and observe my faith in Jesus, but I want to own my faith in Jesus.’”
Amen!
Last Sunday we had Jerry Chou walk us through why “repentance” is a constant value for
our church in Austin. Didn’t he do a great job? Romans 3 is like an explosion of goodness!
I was so jealous Jerry got to walk through that passage! But, repentance is what keeps our
hearts soft for Jesus, therefore, we never want to lose sight of repentance, and this morning
we are going to talk about the by-product of repentance, which is worship! You can look at
our values in greater detail on page 301 in our devotional, but Let me give them to you with
6 quick action words:
Anchor: February 22 nd
Repent: March 1 st
Worship: March 8 th
Serve: March 15 th
Unite: March 22 nd
Multiply: March 29 th
If you miss, you can watch on YouTube. If you want an acronym to help you remember, you
can say, “We are Arwsum.” Everyone seemed to really like that our first week, but these six
words are six verbs to move us toward ownership. Let’s look at our vision:
North Village Church is a family who are centered on Jesus, so that we become a people who
are chasing after every man, woman and child to experience the life transforming power of
Jesus in Greater Austin.
North Village Church is a family, which means we are committed to having healthy, vibrant
relationships with one another. In addition, we are committed to Jesus being at the center
of our lives, and then our belief is that when we are in deep relationships with one another
and committed to Jesus it will move us to chase after every man, woman, and child in
Greater Austin to experience the life-transforming power of Jesus. This is our vision as a
church family!
Our vision is our preferred future, and our values are how this vision become a reality,
therefore, let’s talk about our third value this morning, “Simple and Sincere Worshippers.”
“Simple and Sincere Worshippers”
It’s easy for our “worship” to be reduced to singing on Sunday morning, and James and our
team do a great job of leading us in singing, but we don’t want our “worship of God” to be
limited to singing on Sunday morning. Amen?
God’s Word never describes worship as entertainment we receive, but instead worship is a
life that we live. Listen to that again, “worship is not entertainment we receive but worship
is a life that we live.” You with me? It’s great that we get to gather on Sundays to sing, pray,
and listen, but worship is our lives response to God’s glory.
Therefore, working hard at our jobs, because we are in awe of His glory, is an act of
worship unto Him. Taking a nap, because we are in awe of His glory, is an act of worship
unto Him. Solving problems, going for a walk, working through conflict, serving those who
are in need are all acts of worship unto the Lord, so let’s draw out what simple and sincere
worship looks like in God’s Word. Let’s look at Colossians 3:16-17:
Colossians 3:16-17, “16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and
admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts
to God. 17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to
God the Father.”
If you are new to the Bible, the book of Colossians is in the New Testament. It is a letter
written by the Apostle Paul to a church in Colossae, which is in modern day Turkey. This is
after Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. The apostles have taken the name of Jesus
throughout the Roman empire, and these are men and women in Colossae, just like us
today, have come to faith in Jesus, and the Apostle Paul writes this letter to remind them
who they are in Christ. Look at verse 16 again:
Colossians 3:16, “16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and
admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts
to God.”
Remember, we want to see “simple and sincere worship” and for that to happen it is in
response to God’s glory, and in verse 16 we see God’s Word pointing us to His Word. Do
you see that in verse 16, “Let the Word of Christ richly dwell within you.”
The word “dwell” in the original language means “to be at home,” therefore, God’s Word is
calling us to be incredibly familiar and comfortable with His Word! God’s Word is always
going to be the best place to position ourselves to be in awe of God’s glory!
Sure, we can look at creation and be in awe of His glory. It’s great to get outside and see the
hill country, see the wildflowers, see the giant cranes all over our city, and but most of all,
we want to see His glory through His Word.
Listen to me, we can be around God’s Word and not be in awe of God’s glory. Amen?
Sometimes, we talk about God’s Word like biblical information, but the goal is to “dwell” in
God’s Word so that His Word is pointing us to our hope in Jesus. Does that make sense? It’s
in God’s Word that we see the holiness of God, which actually pushes us away from His
holiness because of our sin, but through the gospel we are brought near, which leaves us in
awe of His glory! Look at 2 Timothy 3:16-17:
2 Timothy 3:16-17, “16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for
training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”
I don’t like to bounce around to different Scriptures, but 2 Timothy 3 shows us the
importance of God’s Word “all Scripture is inspired by God” but 2 Timothy 3 can also create
this spiritual dissonance, because you see this language of teaching, reproof, correction,
training, and equipped for every good work, so that it feels like a weight of demands.
But it’s the gospel that takes the weight of those demands and gives you the righteousness
of Christ, so that when you read those verses you aren’t trying to catch up in some religious
ways, but you are already caught up in Christ. Does that make sense?
This is how we become simple and sincere worshippers, because we are in awe of Jesus,
and His glory, and as a result it shapes how we make decisions in life. Are there going to be
moments of correction along the way? Sure! Are there going to be moments for equipping
as a follower of Jesus? Sure! But it isn’t you trying to reach some moral platitude on your
own, because by grace through faith in Jesus you’ve already arrived! You’re in Christ!
Colossians 3:16, “16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and
admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts
to God.”
Therefore, verse 16 calls out “let the word of Christ richly dwell within you” because if
we’re not intentionally bringing God’s Word into our life, we are going to be unintentionally
shaped by other words. Amen?
It might be political words. It might be words of global events taking place in Iran. It might
be words of social media influencers so that we are filled with fear, anxiety, worry, and
jealousy, but in our church family we want to be shaped by the word of Christ leaving us in
awe of His glory so that we are simple and sincere worship.
If you aren’t sure where to start with God’s Word, just use our devotional as a starting point
to get into God’s Word every day. You could start with these two verses and just start
writing down questions about those verses.
The next day, you can read the whole chapter to get the context of our passage. The next
day, you can read chapters 1 and 2 to get the flow of Colossians. The next day you can read
about the Apostle Paul in the book of Acts to see how he came to faith in Jesus and started
taking the name of Jesus all over the Roman Empire, and each day you can ask, “How does
this passage point me to my hope in Jesus so that I am in awe of Him?”
Here’s what happens, when we read God’s Word every day our brain will start to get
engaged and curious about God’s Word. It’s like a snowball. You will start to ask questions.
You will start to get excited. You will start to see more of God’s glory being made known in
Jesus, and before you know it, we will start to live out simple and sincere worship.
Look at verse 16, it isn’t just one person teaching while everyone listens, but it is a
community of men and women engaged in God’s Word so that it comes out in their
conversations, in their prayers, in their singing, and encouragement of one another as they
do this together. Let’s look at verse 17:
Colossians 3:17, “17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through
Him to God the Father.”
Listen to me, if you have yet to place your faith in Jesus, do that right now. This is
important to clarify. If you start focusing on simple and sincere worship but you haven’t
trust in Jesus, you are going to hate it. You’re going to get swept up in religious behavior.
You’re going to look for tips and tricks to look like a Christian. You’re going to get
exhausted. Don’t do that.
It’s possible you’re thinking, “Michael, we’re in church. Isn’t everyone a follower of Jesus?”
No, not always. It’s possible you can grow up going to church your whole life, and never
see Jesus is personable, knowable, and be in awe of Him.
I mean, we’re in Austin, but we’re still in the south, so it’s easy for someone to have a
spiritual blender of beliefs throughout life. We throw in a little Jesus, a little new age, a
little American individualism, so that we might come to a church, but we’ve never been in
awe of Jesus stepping out of the heavens, taking on flesh and willingly laying His life down
at the cross for our sin, so that by grace through faith in Him we might be reconciled to God
for eternity. That’s the gospel!
If you’ve never met Jesus, so that you are in awe of Him, you need to do that. You need to
be made alive in Jesus, because this is where worship becomes simple and sincere. It isn’t
just about Sunday morning. It isn’t just singing songs. Look at verse 17. Verse 17 is talking
about a heart of gratitude that shapes our lives.
If gratitude depends on circumstances then our gratitude is going to disappear pretty
quickly, right? Success, failure, reputation, titles, stages of life, but if gratitude comes from
the gospel, then gratitude becomes a steady posture of our lives.
The gospel is that you are forgiven, loved, and adopted into Christ for eternity! The gospel
is I am already accepted in Christ, so that when I walk into work, a meeting, or difficult
conversations I don’t have to prove myself. Gratitude is already settled!
Without Jesus then hardships (traffic, health, criticism, conflict or unmet expectations) feel
meaningless or unfair, but with Jesus then hardships become something God can use and
redeem in my life. I know He’s not against me. I know He’s not abandoned me. I know He’s
not trying to punish me, because Jesus has already taken that punishment at the cross,
therefore, God must be using these hardships to shape me!
How many times does our day get hi-jacked by comparison of the cars we drive, physical
appearances, or recognition? It’s constant, but the gospel destroys comparison, because
the gospel reminds us that His grace in our life isn’t earned or deserved, so that everything
we have in life is a gift.
The gospel is what makes us simple and sincere worshippers! If Jesus died and rose for our
sin, then every ordinary moment in our lives is a worship service! Every ordinary moment
is a gift of His grace!
Work becomes gratitude because it’s an opportunity to contribute. Parenting becomes
gratitude because it’s an opportunity to pour into someone’s life. Serving becomes
gratitude for a chance to reflect Jesus in those moments.
When we start with God’s glory being made known through Jesus, then worship stops
being limited to singing songs on Sunday morning, but worship becomes a way of life. Let
me give you some quick application:
1. Daily Worship: God’s glory made known through His Word.
What does it look like to set aside time every day to engage God’s Word, so that you are
getting to know Jesus? Simple and sincere worship means we are taking steps to grow in
our relationship with God before we grow in the noise of this world! Amen?
What if we opened up God’s Word before we started scrolling on our phones? What if we
got up early so we could get into God’s Word? What if took tangible steps to put ourselves
before God’s Word every day?
Listening to worship music is great. Going for a walk is great. But engaging God’s Word is
the difference between knowing the art and knowing the artist. Does that make sense? If
we want to see worship of God showing up in our relationships we must get to know the
artist.
2. Relational Worship: God’s glory shapes how we treat one another.
The context of our passage has us engaged in relationships with one another. In fact, the
context of our passage has us taking ownership of not only our walk with Jesus, but also
helping others grow in their faith.
Therefore, it would be common to talk about what we are learning in God’s Word. It would
be common to ask each other, “What are you learning in God’s Word?” It would be
common to pray with one another. It would be common to call out God’s grace and
encourage one another.
It isn’t because we are trying to make those relationships better, but that we are coming
face to face with the glory of God, and as a response of worship we want to make those
relationships better.
3. Corporate Worship: God’s glory shapes how we participate.
We’re all worshipping something with our lives, therefore, the question isn’t IF we worship
but what we worship and how we worship, therefore, the invitation this morning is to own
this value of simple and sincere worship, because this is a distinction for us as a church in
Austin.
It’s why we try to keep our music simple on Sunday morning, because we want to be simple
and sincere worshippers, responding not to the people on the stage but to His glory. When
we teach God’s Word on a Sunday morning we want to keep it simple. We don’t want to
use a pastor voice, we don’t pace back and forth on the stage to get us worked up, but we go
verse-by-verse and we talk about God’s Word like we were having a conversation, because
we want to be simple and sincere worshippers responding to Him!
We have churches in Austin that are producing great music. Some of our churches in
Austin are producing the Christian music we listen to on the radio. Isn’t that awesome! It’s
awesome! That’s just not what we’re chasing after!
The worship we are chasing after doesn’t start on Sunday morning. The worship we are
chasing after isn’t trying to get us all ramped up for the week! The worship we are chasing
after starts with hearts and minds being in awe of Jesus, because when Jesus fills our Hearts,
Worship will fill our lives. Amen?
North Village Church
This sermon is brought to you by North Village Church, a non-denominational church in Austin. established in 2009 and built around Jesus and Bible teaching.
Are you looking for a church in Austin? At North Village Church we put Jesus at the center of our church family. We worship together every Sunday at 10:30am, encourage Christ centered fellowship through groups, and host special events such as Bible studies and Theological Training, to ensure that we are rooted in in God’s Word. We also serve our local community in association with several Austin based organizations.
North Village Church is made up of professionals, married couples, singles, and families who are wanting to experience the life-transforming power of Jesus. If you are a family with children or teens, we can support you with either or both our Kids Ministry and Youth Ministry.
You are welcome to contact us if you would like more information.
NVC Online
Unable to attend this Christian Church in Austin? Don’t worry, because, through God’s provision, we have created NVC online, an Online Church streaming a worship service every Sunday from 10:30am Central Time. You can also watch our short, powerful sermons on demand and follow us on Instagram for daily Christ centered content.