Living The Resurrected Life

Sources for the Sermon Include sermoncentral, Broadman Bible Commentary, and Paul's Letters from Prison by Houlden

Includes outline for congregation at the end

LIVING THE RESURRECTED LIFE

Jay Robison COLOSSIANS 3:1-4

Last week I read a list of things a pastor should not say at Easter

Aren’t you little curious about what goes on here between Easters?

Easter is always a good day to be a preacher good crowd

Shows us what our potential really is

Think some people come wondering if really something to Easter

Beyond all the pageantry, could it really transform our lives?

In Col 3 Paul deals with fullness\transformation of the Christian life

Since you have been raised to new life with Christ.. Vs 1 NLT

Note the verb tense here as if it already happened raised from dead

Bible talks about spiritual resurrection & physical resurrection.

Paul says spiritually have already died & been raised from dead

So yes for Christians resurrection

Not just a one day event at Easter

but you and I are to be living the raised life

Julia Duin Wash Times article “on seeking a better God” 8/20/09

Spiritual seekers now asking different questions of Christianity

Not the classical questions about if God exists, or Jesus raised

People are seeking a better God asking; SO WHAT?

What difference does all that Christianity teaches make to me

And, is God really good? The so what here is how can God be good

With so much suffering in the world and in my life

Col 2 Paul told about dangers threaten to pull us away from Christ.

Dangers led to believers demonstrating only outward Christianity.

In Chapter 3, Paul gets down to business here he is telling us

to live a Christian life that is real, effective & makes a difference;

In other words, live & act like Easter people resurrection people.

Today talk about three ways of Living the Raised life think of it

2 ways 1 terms of growing in your faith paying attention to these

Evaluate these three ways of life in spirit

and reaching out God set it up in lives of others too

Ask yourself, how am I doing at connecting with others

1. Open Your HEART

Inside of each one of us there is an emotional focus and passion

There are interests and things that give us life

Last few weeks talking about things make time pass

Things bring us life & joy ask you to be in groups around these

God wants to use these to breathe life into you and reach others

Set your heart on things above.. Vs 1 TNIV

Heart here is emotional focus and passion

Things we are passionate about have our attention

If I am passionate about family spend time with and for them

If make choice to be passionate about my job do all I can there

If I am passionate about sports spend time and $$ around it

God is very PASSIONATE

When God created saw what made earth animals fish said it is good

Rolled up sleeves wanted to do very best created people very good

Bible tells us that God is jealous that is passion

Jesus in the world did not live a dull boring lackluster life

He went to many parties and I believe laughed a belly laugh

Cried looking over Jerusalem like sheep without a shepherd

Kick over tables of $$ changers in temple swindlers

Open your heart to God it is not always been given to God

Ps 51:10 NKJV Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew

a steadfast spirit within me. Work to be done in your life & mine

Deut 30:6 GOD will cut away the thick calluses on your heart

freeing you to love GOD, your God, with your whole heart and

soul and live, really live. Open your heart to God reach others

2. Use Your HEAD

Your mind is important to God and does not want to waste it

Prov 23:7 As a msn thinks in his heart, so is he.

Matt 22:36-37 Teacher, which is the great commandment in the

law?” Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God

with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’

Note there at the end love God with your mind

So Paul says Set your mind on things above…Vs 2 TNIV

Isn’t that only natural? Who or what else could we think about? Then why is it that our minds are always so stuck on earthly things?

Vs 2 Set your mind is a fishing term—setting your hook.

To paraphrase this: letting the things of God sink in deep. Not just having a shallow or superficial relationship with Jesus Christ, but letting the things of God go deep into who you are.