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.
Some Christians are INTELLECTUALLY INTIMIDATED
Maybe I am the only one who picked this up
But the unstated threat if smart enough explain away God
So feel intellectually intimidated like God will crumble
Atheist traveled around giving lectures at universities.
Every time spoke he challenged “If there’s a God, I challenge him
to strike me down in the next 5 minutes.”
Of course as time went by tensions rose, until the 5-minute mark
had passed, and the atheist was still standing.
Coming out of lecture a student said, “He really proved something
tonight, huh?” Another student said, “Yeah - he proved that
God doesn’t take orders from atheists.” (Source unknown)
In order to live the raised life we are called to Use Your head
I’ve met many atheists, cynics, skeptics, detractors
Found many times if you dig deep enough
Find they are disappointed with God or angry
About some experience they had in life or with a church
Called to use our heads in loving God and living the raised life
For Ezra had devoted himself to the study & observance of the Law
of the LORD, & to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel. Ez 7:10
Underline devoted himself to study, gave his mind
Be in SS small groups use your head to love\live for God
How are you using your head for God, can you reach others
Those who doubt most, and yet strive to overcome their doubts, turn
out to be some of Christ’s strongest disciples. Selwyn Hughes
Noticed something about Lexington like most cities in US
Consider major hospitals usually 1 related to University to study
Note the other ones Central Baptist, St Joseph’s, had Good Sam
Did these Christians start hospitals as businesses to make $$ NO
Only in last 30 yrs big $$ they started these to help hurting people
And using their heads in living raised life
Life in its deepest sense is not what is to be found in us
but what he Christ imprints upon us
How can your mind be used to love God and others
3. Lend A HAND
God wants to direct our hearts emotions, our head thoughts
But also lend a hand our actions
Living after being raised from the dead includes activity
There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord… A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. 1 Corinthians 12:5 & 7 Say this with me, None Of us Can do everything But all of us can do something God created you to be productive to do something with your life
Tony Campolo If there was such a thing as a self waiting to be found, undoubtedly by now someone would have come along and found it. With all the people out there taking time to find themselves Surely at least one would say, "Hey, Doc, I did it. I looked and looked and finally found myself!" Doesn't happen no such thing as a self is waiting to be found. Rather than waiting to be discovered, the self is waiting to be created. And there is only one way to create a self, an identity, a meaning to one's life, and that is through commitment. Show me somebody with a clear-cut commitment and I'll show you somebody who knows who he is and what life is all about. These are people who know what they are here for Maybe not all of it in detail, but taking orders from God Do this until the next right thing comes along
3 Questions to ask
WHAT ARE THE 3 THINGS YOU LOVE THE MOST?
WHAT 3 THINGS DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE MOST?
WHAT 3 THINGS ARE YOU EARNESTLY WORKING
ON NOW?
TNIV Vs 4 When Christ who is your life, appears,
then you also will appear with him in glory
Jesus is coming back one day to take his followers out of world
Until then calling us to an even a greater intensity the brand new
Person goes after the things of God.
If their life is hidden with Christ in God, if Christ himself
is indeed their life, then that really must mean that life in its full
sense can only be what the Lord will one day make of it,
when he gives his yes to his disciple it
cannot simply be what people already have on earth.
Are you growing in your walk with God
As you open your heart, use your head, lend a hand
Certainly one will be stronger pull for you
All of these are ways to be reach out to others
I believe this is how we do it
So today will you make commitment
Open your heart to God
Use your head
Lend a hand
These will breath life into you
And can be used to reach others as well
LIVING THE RAISED LIFE
April 11, 2010 Jay Davis Robison COLOSSIANS 3:1-4
Since you have been raised to new life with Christ.. Vs 1 NLT
People are seeking a better God asking;
1. Open Your
Set your heart on things above.. Vs 1 TNIV
God is very
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and
Renew a steadfast spirit within me. Ps 51:10 NKJV
2. Use Your
“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.’ Matthew 22:36-37 NKJV
Set your mind on things above…Vs 2 TNIV
Some Christians are
For Ezra had devoted himself to the study & observance of the Law of the LORD, & to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel. Ezra 7:10 TNIV
Those who doubt most, and yet strive to overcome their doubts, turn out to be some of Christ’s strongest disciples. Selwyn Hughes
3. Lend A
There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord… A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. 1 Corinthians 12:5 & 7
Rather than waiting to be discovered, the self is waiting to be created. And there is only one way to create a self, an identity, a meaning to one's life, and that is through commitment Tony Campolo
3 Questions to ask
