Heavenly Minded
Text: Col. 3:1-4
Introduction
1. Illustration: A wise person once said, "A man’s life is governed by his thoughts; he will ultimately become that which dwells most on his mind. “You are what you eat.” Engulf yourselves with His presence, put Him in your mind, Become more Christ-like and have Faith." -Unknown
2. Perhaps you have heard the phrase "You’re so heavenly minded that you’re no earthly good." Well I think the opposite is also true, we can be so earthly minded that we are no heavenly good.
3. There are four things in this text about what the mind of the believer should focus on.
a. The Reminder
b. The Responsibility
c. The Resource
d. The Reason
4. Read Col. 3:1-4
Proposition: Paul is telling us that as believers our mind is to be focused on God and His purposes.
Transition: First, we have...
I. The Reminder (1a)
A. Raised Up With Christ
1. Paul begins by saying "If then you were raised with Christ..."
2. It goes back to Col. 2:20, "Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations."
3. If denotes reality, as in 2:20, and is better translated "since."
a. Believers having been raised up with Christ is not in doubt.
b. The verb been raised up actually means "to be co-resurrected."
c. It is an accomplished fact. Believers spiritually are entered into Christ’s death and resurrection at the moment of their salvation.—MacArthur New Testament Commentary, The
4. Gal. 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
5. Paul here is reminding us that when we were saved we died to our old self and our old way of life.
a. We are not the same any more. We have changed.
b. Therefore, the way we think has to change also.
c. We can no longer focus on the same things we used to focus on, but we must focus on the things of God.
B. Resurrected Mind
1. Illustration: Dr. Joseph Haroutunian, professor at McCormick Theological Seminary, came to America from Armenia. One day a well-meaning friend said to him, "Your name is difficult to pronounce and difficult to spell--it could hurt your professional career. Why don’t you change your name to Harwood or Harwell or something like that?"
Dr. Haroutunian asked, "What do those names mean?"
His friend said, "Well, nothing. They’re just easier to remember."
Dr. Haroutunian said, "In Armenia, when my grandfather was baptized, they named him Hartounian which means ’Resurrection.’ I am Joseph Haroutunian and I will be a son of Resurrection all my days."
2. This man has not forgotten who he is in Christ.
3. As Christians, we are not the same any more.
a. We have been changed
b. We have been resurrected
c. We have been made new
4. 2 Cor. 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
5. We must remember who we are in Christ, and those things that we think about should reflect our new nature.
Transition: Next, we have...
II. The Responsibility (1b-2)
A. Keep Seeking
1. Paul tells us to "seek those things which are above..."
a. The verb here seek is another present tense which indicates a continuous action. It would be better translated "keep on seeking."
b. Preoccupation with the eternal realities that are ours in Christ is to be the pattern of the believer’s life.
c. Jesus put it this way: "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." (Matt. 6:33)
2. Paul is not advocating a form of mysticism. Rather, he desires that the Colossians’ preoccupation with heaven govern their earthly responses.
a. To be preoccupied with heaven is to be preoccupied with the One who reigns there and His purposes, plans, provisions, and power.
b. It is also to view the things, people, and events of this world through His eyes and with an eternal perspective.—MacArthur New Testament Commentary, The
3. The things above refers to the heavenly realm and hones in on the spiritual values that characterize Christ, such as tenderness, kindness, meekness, patience, wisdom, forgiveness, strength, purity, and love.
a. When believers focus on the realities of heaven, they can then truly enjoy the world their heavenly Father has created.
b. Focusing on the things above creates a sense of security, because no matter what happens in this world, we know that we have a better home above.
c. 1 Cor. 2:9 But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him."
4. In verse 2, Paul tells us how we seek the things above when he says, "Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth."
• Set your mind is from phroneô and could simply be translated, "think," or more thoroughly, "have this inner disposition."
• Once again, the present tense indicates continuous action.
• Lightfoot paraphrases Paul’s thought: "You must not only seek heaven, you must also think heaven" —MacArthur New Testament Commentary, The
5. This, of course, does not mean withdrawal from all the activities of this world to engage only in contemplation of eternity and heaven.
a. The verses that follow make it quite clear that Paul expected Christians to maintain normal relationships in this world.
b. "But," as William Barclay explains, "there will be this difference—from now on the Christian will see everything in the light and against the background of eternity.… He will no longer live as if this world was all that mattered; he will see this world against the background of the large world of eternity" (p. 177). - Expositor’s Bible Commentary, The, Pradis CD-ROM:Colossians
B. Things Above
1. Illustration: It has been said by one of the old mystics (Julian of Norwich) ‘This is the reason why we have no ease of heart or soul, for we are seeking our rest in trivial things that cannot satisfy, and not seeking to know God, almighty, all-wise, all good. He is true rest. It is his will that we should know him, and his pleasure that we should rest in him. Nothing less will satisfy us."
2. Phil. 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things.
3. I think that we as Christians spend way to much time thinking on things that do not matter.
a. We tend to focus on how bad things are.
b. We tend to focus on things that we cannot change.
c. We tend to focus on things that are temperal and not eternal.
4. In doing so we end up with negative attitudes and unfulfilled dreams and visions.
5. We need to set our minds on the things of God; heavenly things with eternal significance and value.
Transition: Third, we have...
III. The Resource (1c)
A. Where Christ Is Seated
1. Paul points out at the end of verse 1 the believers unlimited resource: "where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God."
2. The believer’s resource is none other than the One in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge: the risen and glorified Christ, seated at the right hand of God in the place of honor and majesty.—MacArthur New Testament Commentary, The
3. The Bible speaks often of Christ’s exalted position.
a. Ps. 110:1 The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool."
b. Acts 2:33 Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.
c. Acts 7:56 "Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!"
4. Because of Christ’s coronation and exaltation to the Father’s right hand, He is the fountain of blessing for His people. —MacArthur New Testament Commentary, The
5. Believers can be assured that what they seek is there, "for as many as may be the promises of God, in Him they are yes" (2 Cor. 1:20).
B. Our Advocate
1. Illustration: When Christian Herter was governor of Massachusetts, he was running hard for a second term in office. One day, after a busy morning chasing votes (and no lunch) he arrived at a church barbecue. It was late afternoon and Herter was famished. As Herter moved down the serving line, he held out his plate to the woman serving chicken. She put a piece on his plate and turned to the next person in line.
"Excuse me," Governor Herter said, "do you mind if I have another piece of chicken?"
"Sorry," the woman told him. "I’m supposed to give one piece of chicken to each person."
"But I’m starved," the governor said.
"Sorry," the woman said again. "Only one to a customer."
Governor Herter was a modest and unassuming man, but he decided that this time he would throw a little weight around.
"Do you know who I am?" he said. "I am the governor of this state."
"Do you know who I am?" the woman said. "I’m the lady in charge of the chicken. Move along, mister."
2. We can seek heavenly things because Christ our Lord is seated there in the place of authority.
3. We can seek heavenly things because Christ is there as our Advocate before the Father.
4. We can seek heavenly things because Christ has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm.
Transition: Fourth, we see...
IV. The Reason (3)
A. Your Life Is Hidden With Christ
1. Paul gives as the reason that we are to seek heavenly things as "For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God."
2. Paul is implying that since Christians have died with Christ, all that is alien to him should be alien to them. - Expositor’s Bible Commentary, The, Pradis CD-ROM:Colossians
3. The past tense of you have died indicates that a death took place at salvation. —MacArthur New Testament Commentary, The
a. Since that death has already taken place, then we no longer should have a desire for the things of this world.
b. A dead many is no longer tempted by things from his former life.
c. Pizza and ice cream are no longer temptations to him because he has died.
4. Not only have believers died to sin, but also their lives are hidden with Christ in God. What does with Christ in God mean?
a. First, believers share a common life with the Father and Son. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 6:17 that "the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him."
b. Second, that new life is concealed from the world. Unbelievers are unable to grasp the full import of the believer’s new life, since "the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."
B. Life In Christ
1. Illustration: On a wintry day at twilight, a ragged man entered a little music shop on a side street in London. Under his arm was an old violin. "I’m starving," said he to Mr. Betts, the owner of the shop. "Do please buy this old violin so I can get something to eat." Mr. Betts offered him a guinea, worth about five dollars at that time. The man gratefully received it and then shuffled out into the frigid night. When Mr. Betts drew a bow across the strings of the old violin, it produced a rich, mellow tone. How astonished he was! Lighting a candle, he peered intently into the inside of the instrument. There he observed the magic name—Antonio Stradivari—and the date, 1704! He knew instantly that this was the famous Stradivarius that had been missing for a hundred years. The attics of Europe had been diligently searched for this missing violin, but in vain. Subsequently the famous violin changed hands several times and brought as much as $100,000.
2. We have a hidden treasure, and that is the power that is in seeking heavenly things.
3. It gives the power to accomplish the impossible.
4. It gives the faith to believe the unbelievable.
5. It gives us the power to overcome the insurmountable.
Transition: We have a treasure that is greater that the most expensive Stradivarious. Let us not squander it for things of this world, which have no lasting value.
Conclusion
1. Paul has given us a:
a. Reminder
b. Responsibility
c. Resource
d. Reason
2. He has also given us a challenge. Will we be earthly minded, or heavenly minded?
