LIVE LIKE THE CHILD GOD WOULD BE PROUD OF
Colossians 3:1-17
INTRO
Recently, I had a very interesting conversation with a Christian who had been very seriously ill -- so much so that it appears she nearly died. But her experience left her with no fear of death. On the contrary she described the experience as wonderful. As she drifted near to the edges of life she saw a white door, and she knew that if she chose to move towards the door that it would open for her. But on being roused by medical staff she concluded that this was not yet her time.
Death is something we should best be prepared for, though its timing for us is likely to be unexpected and beyond our prediction. Clearly, as Christians we are prepared by God for death. We are freely forgiven by God’s grace on the grounds of the perfect sacrifice of Christ for our sins. ’There is now not condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus’. But there is another sense in which we are called upon to prepare ourselves so that we will in no way be ashamed at the coming of Christ, but rather live as sons and daughters of the King in ways God would be proud of.
QUESTION How well prepared are you to meet with God?
READING Colossians 3:1-17
THESIS We are to live our lives as the people God has defined us to be -- Children of God
And not so much out of fear as out of love for the One who first loved us.
RECAP
In Colossians 1 we read about the Uniqueness, Supremacy and Sufficiency of Christ.
In Colossians 2 we were reminded of the freedom we have in Christ.
And in Colossians 3 we are instructed to use our freedom to live as God would have his children live.
If there is a key text here it is verse 2 ’Set your minds on things above’
POINT
Some of us, even as Christians, may feel afraid of death at times. But the good news is that we have already died, and been raised. V3 tells us ’For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. V1 tells us ’Since, then, you have been raised with Christ’. When we put our trust in Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord, in a forensic sense (as in a court of law) it was as though in the same way that Jesus died for sin and was raised we also died and were raised with him.
Paul’s letter to the Romans describes how we are justified by faith in this way. And when Christ appears then you and I will appear with him in glory.
And so we are to set our hearts and minds on things above, not on earthly things.
So, live as children of the King.
POINT
To seek means to "keep seeking" the things that are above.
It describes our passion -- the driving force of our lives -- the reason for our living.
POINT
The key thing to grasp here is that as a Christian:
You have a new Father
a new family
a new identity
and a new status
So now:
NOW LIVE LIKE THE PRINCE OR PRINCESS YOU ARE!
By setting your heart and mind on things above
QUESTION But what does it mean to set our hearts and minds on things that are above? How do we go about this?
Paul uses three images:
1. THE IMAGE OF A EXECUTIONER
POINT
Living as a child of the King will be noticeable in our patterns of behavior.
What kind of a life is going bring honour and praise to God?
A life that is different from the way that some of us used to live.
Who has not fallen into sin at one time or other by way of:
Sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire, greed, anger, rage, malice, slander, filthy language and lies?
This is not behavior becoming of a child of the King.
So to set our minds on things above means to put to death our old ways, and we become the executioner.
POINT
God has given us power to change. But we must exercise that power.
How do we put something to death? By starving it of the oxygen that gives it life.
The Holy Spirit convicts us of the remnants of the patterns of our sinful ways that are not befitting for the child of a king. These bring disgrace rather than honour upon the Name of our God and we are to put them to death.
APPLIC
This is both descriptive and prescriptive
It is descriptive in that it describes what a child of the King is like.
It is also prescriptive in that it shows us how to go about being that Prince or Princess -- how to go about seeking the things that are above.
This is how we are to live as children of the King in ways he would be proud of and give him the glory and praise.
2. THE IMAGE OF A WARDROBE
ILLUSTR
Living as a child of the King will be noticeable in the way others experience us.
Madonna has been in the headlines over the last couple of years for famously trying and succeeding to adopt African children from Malawi.
Whatever we think of Madonna’s actions or motives on this is certainly true -- for these children life will now turn out to be very different for them as children of a wealthy singer and entertainer.
POINT
One most noticeable difference about these children will be their appearance. Each of them will have a very different wardrobe of clothes to wear than that which they would otherwise have had. It will display wealth not poverty; riches rather than rags.
APPLIC
But living as children of the King in on a far greater scale.
The difference that others experience in us runs deep. The way we appear surfaces from the way we are becoming in our inner selves.
POINT
What is described here is the fruit of the Spirit -- the gradual transformation of inner character:
Compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, love and the willingness to forgive.
But they are not just fruit. To clothe ourselves means to put this into action in our relationships with others.
Andrew Murray said, ’We build the forms of holiness and God fills them’
APPLIC
When we express compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, love and the willingness to forgive, then we are living as children of the King, seeking things that are above and giving honour to our Lord.
This too brings praise to the Saviour.
3. THE IMAGERY OF PEACE
Living as a child of the King will be noticeable by the peace of Christ ruling in our hearts and over our relationships.
POINT
Peace is a wonderful thing. And to be at peace with others even greater. But to be at peace with God through Christ is the greatest blessing of all.
Here the directive to ’let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts’ is given to the Fellowship of believers in the way they relate to each other and grow together.
POINT
In his letter to the Romans Paul wrote:
Romans 12:18
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
SHALOM
The Hebrew word Shalom means much more than hello or goodbye. Contained in this powerful word is the blessing of completeness, contentment, soundness and wholeness, safety, prosperity, tranquility, harmony and rest.
It is a powerful word.
In some church traditions during communion the congregation practice of passing on ’the peace of Christ’ during communion. It is an ancient practice. But its power is in the way we convey the blessing upon one another by use of the power of our words spoken prayerfully.
APPLIC
This is the environment for Christian Fellowship and Christian worship that we are to continually seek -- one that is characterized by the peace of Christ ruling in our hearts as members of one body.
CONCLUSION
The older theologians had a word for all of this: ’Holiness’.
Last Sunday evening I focused in my sermon on the holiness of God.
Today we are reminded of what God said to his people: ’You shall be holy for I am holy,’ says the Lord.
It is found in Leviticus 19:2 and is quoted by Peter in 1 Peter 1:16.
POINT
God’s way is that we be like him. And to seek the things that are above means to take the steps necessary to do so.
The church Minister Robert Murray McCheyne once said -- ’my people’s greatest need is my holiness’
It is just as true to say, ’the world’s greatest need is OUR holiness’ For in observing us and experiencing us they see what God is like.
COMMUNION READING -- 1 Peter 1:13-25
