“Be Centered”
“We are at our best, when we have a central focus of Jesus in our lives.”
Colossians 3:1-4
Sunday Morning Sermon
05.27.07
Intro: (Start with title and text)
It doesn’t take a team or a group of people very much to be successful – I’ve noticed this with our softball team, it seems we are more focused – we are out there to have fun, but that fun also includes finishing the out to first base – throwing the ball where the player can catch it – that fun includes hitting well, and running hard to first base to compensate if you don’t. That fun includes watching little Ben run as hard as he can, from base to base. It all comes back to our focus. The last time I was on a softball team – we weren’t focused. Half the team decided to join another team, leaving the ones who stayed to play the rest of the season, we didn’t do very well – it wasn’t about our ability – very rarely is it about straight ability. Life – whether it’s sports or marriage, or school, or Christian walk – it’s about focus.
Discussion:
Most of us – if we could draw a circle around us – we would be right in the center – the kids would be over there, all of their activities would be over there, the spouse would be here, the job would be somewhere over here. So we spend our lives, our time going from one thing to the next – all the while trying to keep ourselves at the center. I’m not very big on diagrams but it would look something like this: (advance)
This set up – where you are in the middle of the circle and all those other things are outside the circle – is normal, most Americans have their lives set up this way, regardless if they are in the church or not.
What I am suggesting – and I want you to hear me (I have a diagram for this one too) – is that we should have as the center focus of our lives – Jesus. (Advance) So that all the other things we do – we do for him, we do through him; we do by his strength, with his wisdom. We are at our very best, when we have a central focus of Jesus in our lives. If you will make him the central focus
– it will improve every area of your life – that’s a huge promise. And if it were from me – then you could ignore it – but God says that his strength makes your way perfect. (Advance)
Psalm 18:32 (NIV) It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.
If that verse is true – and I believe it is – it is God’s strength – that will lead us to do things better, and be better people – the message paraphrase says that God arms us and then aims us in the right direction.
Paul wrote a church who was dealing with some major wrong teaching – most of which clouded up the divinity of Jesus Christ. He spends half the book setting this doctrine straight. I wish I could give you an over view of this book, but because of time, I can’t. In Chapter three – the focus changes – and he gives the church RULES – These are different than the Ten Commandments. In the first part of this rules section – he’s telling them, and us – where their focus should be – who should be the center of their lives.
Turn with me if you have your Bibles to Colossians 3:1-4 (Read) (Advance)
I see a couple of things this morning – he tells them and us what to do – and I believe he tells us why. I’ve studied this – and I believe he’s telling the church to be centered – to draw the circle around Jesus not themselves and allow everything to go through a filter of Jesus. We would say this today, like: Keep the main thing the main thing.
(advance)
I. Center your heart – on things above (advance)
Colossians 3:1 – (NIV) Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
It’s hard sometimes to have our hearts always on the things above. We have people around us who tell us jokes, maybe they gossip – maybe it’s the books we read or the movies we see – The Bible describes the heart (which biblically is the center of the person) – as a storage unit – and what you put into it is what you get out of it.
For the Christian – the overflow of the heart should look something like a field of fruit – not apples and oranges – but fruits of the spirit – Remember them:
(advance)
Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
As your life overflows – as we move ourselves closer and closer and together we get ourselves centered on Christ
a. The sin in our lives becomes less and less
It’s not that we won’t struggle with sin – we will until all things are put under his feet – that’s a promise. It’s not even that the opportunities to sin will become less and less – because they won’t – actually the opposite will happen – you will see your sin more and more for what it is, and what it does in your life – and in the life of your family – and you will want to move away from it.
b. The focus changes from ME in the center of the circle –
i. This is not about us –
1. It’s not about our personal preferences
2. The time we give
3. The talent we share
4. The money we give
5. Or how many times you come to church a week
The focus of the church – should be something like this – I grew up on a farm – dad would work wheat harvest – and by default I got to spend endless birthdays on top of a combine – which I’m not bitter about, by the way. But before we would do the work of the harvest we would stand at the edge of the field and get an idea about what we were about to do – it was always amazing to stand at the edge of that field.
c. This centering our hearts
d. This moving towards Jesus
e. The drawing of the circles – and changing priorities
It’s about the harvest. It’s about bringing life to the county we live in – it’s about taking those outside and bringing them inside – and growing together with Christ – It’s about you and me becoming all that we can be – realizing that the best part of us – is still out there – undedicated, possibly in rebellion – God is calling us – to be his hands and his feet –Jesus gives one of his purposes: (advance) Luke 19:10 – For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."
The purpose of the church has not changed – it’s still the same to seek those who are lost and weary, those who are burdened with sin, and lead them to a relationship.
I think I know what some of you are thinking “Ok, so the preacher wants us to bring people to church.” “Why do I have to bring people to church?”
f. Excellent question – Glad you asked
i. If you are Christian – You have work ahead (advance)
Ephesians 2:10 – For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Listen to what I am saying – I’m not asking you to start preaching from the back of your pickup truck at the wal-mart parking lot – that’s foolishness. I’m asking you to pray for eyes to see those around you – who need you – the talents that you have the, hope that you can share, the encouragement that you can give. God is not going to throw you into something you are not prepared for. If God calls you to do something – he will prepare in advance a place for you to bring about the best results possible.
Here’s the second thing I see this morning – it’s something like the first
(advance)
II. Center your Mind – on things above
Again, this is a huge part of who we are – Descartes, said, “I think, therefore I am.” – it’s a sign of your existence.
a. You have a mind
i. Use it for the glory of God
Ashley gave a great speech the other night – filled with her personality, and a lot of thought. She used that speaking opportunity for the glory of God – and he blessed her. I am personally excited to see the number of times that she is willing to do that in the future – knowing that he will bless her over and over.
ii. Think about what you believe – maybe a better way of saying it is KNOW WHAT YOU BELIEVE.
iii. Center you mind on the things above
This is hard for some people – because what we believe is about faith – and faith is defined in: (advance) Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
The mind doesn’t take a leave of absence – when it comes to faith – we are also to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.
I love watching the show “LOST” – they had their season finale the other night – I can’t explain all of it – but basically the leader of this one group lied to several of the people who were dedicated to following him – they realized that he lied, but kept following him anyway – their reasoning – if we stop following – nothing would make sense. God does not lie – but he also does not want a blind follower.
However if you apply logic to some of the stuff in our world, and in scripture – it doesn’t make sense. Why would it take several days to make the earth – why wouldn’t he just make a woman, instead of taking a rib from the man – Why did he create the mosquito? Why did Jesus have the power to heal across distance, but had to spit and make mud for the blind?
I’ve got a hundred of these – and none of them, according to my logic make sense. I have to understand – and if you are at the stage where you are questioning God – Understand this: (advance) 1 Corinthians 1:25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.
If you had the presence of God sitting across a table and said – “Ok, let’s come clean about the mosquito.” – He would say – because I’m God – you are not – good enough. His weakest point – still has a purpose behind it that we can’t possibly comprehend.
b. Having you mind – centered on things above
i. Makes you want to get to know the one who created your mind – your personality, your thoughts, who gave you the ability for the knowledge that you have.
ii. Makes you mentally excited about the things that he is doing in your life and in the lives of those around you.
Just like before – he gives us reasoning to center our minds on him
c. You died and your life is now hidden with Christ
i. Not a physical death
I heard a story of a young youth minister who took a group of kids to some event and one of the boys came forward and gave his life to Christ – the youth minister called back to the parents – he told them – “Your son has died” – of course they were horrified, shocked and those feelings were met with relief and then anger to find out that the boy had given his life to Jesus – he didn’t fall from the third floor while hanging over the balcony. But it is true – you have died
ii. To the things of this world (advance)
Romans 6:1-3 – 1What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
We shared in the death of Christ at our baptism. Because we are baptized we will share in the resurrection. Our focus – everything about us – all that we are – should go through a filter of Jesus – because we are at our very best when we have our lives focused on Jesus.
Conclusion:
I realize that I lost some of you at “good morning” – some of you this is very fitting for where you are – it was convicting and yet encouraging, I hope that if your life resembles the first diagram – you will make the changes this morning– Some of you, when I whipped out the diagrams – this major sense of “what in the world is Jay talking about,” – fell over you – because life is still very much about you. It’s about your schedule, it’s about your timing, it’s about your comfort level – I want to encourage you – to change that focus of your life from yourself to Jesus. I know, preaching from the back of your truck at Wal-Mart doesn’t sound like something you want to do on a Saturday night – if you think about it – wouldn’t you have to give up a bunch of stuff? There are habits, and addictions, and some of the anger you’ve been storing up – those things are fun to hold on to – So if you are looking at a decision to follow Jesus and make him the center of your life – don’t look at it from the subtraction point, bring your addictions, bring your anger, bring your fear – the Bible says that when I am weak he is strong, you don’t have to clean up before making a Jesus decision in your life – let him do the cleaning up. – think of what you will gain – the peace you will have, the support system you will have, the hand of the creator of the universe who will walk with you every step of the way. It seems a little scary to step out – but making the choice to center Jesus in your life – is the best thing you will ever do – because he is the one who truly loves you, as you are – but he’s not happy leaving your where you are.
Let’s pray
Maybe you are here this morning and your life resembled the first diagram – you saw yourself – all the activities that you can cram in – all the family stuff that’s possible. I know – life can just make you scream – “MAKE IT STOP”. Here’s how it stops – take yourself out of the center of that circle – put Jesus there.
Maybe you are here this morning and you’ve never accepted Jesus as Lord, you know you don’t know everything – but you are willing to learn – Understand that life is ahead of you – you have all the time in the world to learn about the ways of God –
Maybe that described you years ago – you were excited, you were on fire, you were running as fast as you can – this race – but then the friends came back, the habits came back, the struggles came back – everything was coming back but the dedication – so you gave up – God wants you back.
If you have decision to make this morning – come as we stand and sing.
