Sermon Brief
Date Written: Oct 02, 2014
Date Preached: Oct 05, 2014
Where Preached: OPBC (AM)
Sermon Details:
Series Title: We Serve the SAME God
Sermon Title: We Serve the SAME Focus!
Sermon Text: Colossians 3:1-17 [ESV]
Introduction:
A young boy by the name of James had a desire to be the most famous manufacturer and salesman of cheese in the world. He planned on becoming rich and famous by making and selling cheese and began with a little buggy pulled by a pony named Paddy.
After making his cheese, he would load his wagon and he and Paddy would drive down the streets of Chicago to sell the cheese. As the months passed, the young boy began to despair because he was not making any money, in spite of his long hours and hard work.
One day he pulled his pony to a stop and began to talk to him. He said, "Paddy, there is something wrong. We are not doing it right. I am afraid we have things turned around and our priorities are not where they ought to be.
Maybe we ought to serve God and place him first in our lives." The boy drove home and made a covenant that for the rest of his life he would first serve God and then would work as God directed.
Many years after this, the young boy, now a man, stood as Sunday School Superintendent at North Shore Baptist Church in Chicago and said, "I would rather be a layman in the North Shore Baptist Church than to head the greatest corporation in America. My first job is serving Jesus."
So, every time you take a take a bite of:
Philadelphia Cream cheese,
sip a cup of Maxwell House,
cook a pot of Macaroni & Cheese,
spread some Grey Poupon,
stir a bowl of Cream of Wheat,
eat the cream out of the middle of an Oreo cookie, or
serve some Stove Top stuffing
You need to remember a boy and his pony named Paddy… this boy’s name? James L. Kraft… He decided to serve God first and focus on his calling as a believer and God blessed and prospered his efforts.
Now this is not a story about the ‘name it and claim it’ health and wealth prosperity gospel… it is a story about a man who had the right focus in his life!
With the right focus comes right actions and right actions equal obedience to God’s calling. Obedience pleases God and God has promised He will honor those who honor him…
Up to this point in his letter, Paul has been setting the stage for how believers should live out their faith in the world. How does the world see you living your faith?
Our Scripture this morning is Colossians 3:1-17 and in this passage we find Paul emphasizing a FOCUS in serving God. Up to this point, Paul has taught that:
We have been called to the SAME team… God’s Church
We are being led by the SAME leader…Jesus Christ
We are all fueled by the SAME purpose…Making Christ known!
Today we are going to look at how Paul shares that we all called to serve the SAME focus…
In my short story about James Craft I told you that he had the ‘right focus’… and you may ask, ‘what do you mean when you say, ‘the right focus?
Well, the word focus can be defined as a ‘concentration’ on something or giving specific attention to a project or job… it can also be defined as a specific point of emphasis on a particular subject or thing…in other words those who ‘focus’ on something KNOW it intimately…
For the purpose of our message this morning I am going to define ‘focus’ as knowing WHO you are and HOW you are called to live for Christ, as you live out your life in this world.
In other words, when I mention focus this morning is about you knowing your ‘job or responsibility’ as a believer and then putting that knowledge into practice in your life!
Another way to see the word focus is found in a football team. On a football team you have the coach who is your leader. The football team’s purpose in each game is to score touchdowns and to prevent touchdowns. However the FOCUS for the team in each game is different for each player.
The focus for a football player is HIS job. The focus for a FB player is knowing WHO he is on the team and doing what he is called to do to see the purpose achieved!
Knowing WHO you are and knowing what you are called to do is like the football player who knows where he is supposed to line up and what he is supposed to do on each play… in other words knowing your position and knowing where to line up and your job!
I believe that picture is the same when it comes to serving Jesus. Here we can find Paul laying out the focus for the believer in serving Jesus. We are called to know who we are in Him. To know who we are NOT in Him and to know HOW we are supposed to serve Him!
The first point I want us to explore this morning is:
We must focus on who we ARE in Christ v1-4
1If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
Here Paul says, 1If then you have been raised with Christ… This statement is not to question their salvation but is used as matter of focus ON their salvation.
It is like the coach speaking to a player and saying, “Since you are our RB, here is where you line up!” In case you don’t know a hill of beans about football, the RB does not line up where an offensive lineman would line up… they have different positions on the team. They have different jobs on the team.
In our walk in Christ we MUST know where we line up and the phrase Paul uses …you have been raised with Christ…means that we are all called by God to the SAME team and we are part of the body of Christ. But the question is, Where do we line up?
Paul addresses this in the 2nd part of v1 when he says, …seek the things that are above… these are the things of Christ. In other words, our focus must 1st be on the One who lead us and paying attention to His instruction. When we focus on Christ we are going to know where He wants us to line up in His kingdom.
Paul continues in v2 by saying, 2Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth...This was Paul’s way of saying to the believer… FOCUS!! Focus on Jesus, on what He desires and don’t allow yourself to be distracted.
As a football player, I can remember that we had to listen closely to the instruction of the coach as he gave the play… we could not just do what we wanted to do on the field but we had to focus on the instruction of the coach.
As a believer, our first obligation in serving God is knowing WHO we are, and then it is knowing who we are to line up in His kingdom. When we begin to do that and place our focus on His instruction, we are able to accomplish great things for His kingdom.
Paul continues on this particular focus by stating WHY our focus should be on Christ: Why? Because our lives have been changed by Him! Paul says, …For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God...
Who we were before Jesus reconciled us… who we were before being restored by the grace of God… THAT life is now dead and our ‘new’ life is totally submersed in Jesus Christ. Also because Christ has provided His eternal glory for us…
The player follows the coach to achieve victory and glory on the football field – many Hall of Fame players speak highly of their coaches and how they were led by their coaches.
Our ‘coach’ in the church is Jesus Christ… our leader guides us into ‘battle’ and we KNOW that victory is ours and that we are going to celebrate one day as we revel in the glory that is Jesus Christ, our leader!
So, FIRST we must focus on KNOWING who we are in Christ, but Paul continues as he says that we must also:
We must focus on who we ARE NOT in Christ v5-11
5Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.
This may seem a bit oversimplified when I say that we must know who we are NOT… but when we lose perspective of who we ARE and are confused in the matter… problem arise quickly!
Imagine an offensive guard who thinks he should be lining up and playing quarterback? Imagine a quarterback who thinks he should line up and play linebacker? How do you think those things would work out?
In our service to Christ we must focus on who we ARE, but we have to also understand who we are NOT… or let me put it this way, we must avoid or turn away from that which is NOT of Christ…who leads us!
Paul describes these things (those things that are NOT of Christ) in v5 when he says, 5Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: in other words, those things that are NOT of Christ… or to tie it to our subject this morning, “…put to death those things of which you are NOT…”
Remember how Paul began this chapter in v1? He said, “Since you are OF Christ…” put to death those things in your life that are NOT of Christ! Things like:
Sexual immorality – which is a very broad category that represents ANY sexual activity outside the God-honored intimate marital relationship.
Impurity – to have impure motives or unclean thoughts
Passion – lust or lustful thoughts, lustful actions. Doing things with the focus being ONLY on yourself regardless of consequence.
Evil Desire – destructive behavior that seeks that which is forbidden and lustful
Covetedness – greed of heart or self-centeredness in action (idolatry)
In v6 Paul reminds why these things are bad, he says, 6On account of these the wrath of God is coming.
I can remember as a player not wanting the coach to get mad at me. This is because when he got mad, we RAN wind sprints or did something called ‘bull in the ring’ (describe bull in the ring)
I did not want to see our coaches ‘wrath’ coming my way, so to please him I complied to what he asked me to do… the same is true in our spiritual walk with God. When we listen to God and do what He has called us to do, we know that his wrath will not come our way!
In speaking about God’s wrath in v7 Paul says, 7In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. He reminds the Colossian believers that there was a time in their lives when they TOO were apart from God and facing God’s wrath… Today when we seek to serve God we must constantly be aware that we were ONCE outside of God’s grace and faced the wrath of God ourselves!
We too were once undisciplined and unfocused in our living and Paul’s implication here is that ‘In Christ’ our focus has sharpened and become more disciplined and we are focused on serving Christ.
In v8-9 Paul says: 8But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices
Paul lists more characteristics and actions that are NOT a part of who we are ‘in Christ’. When we proclaim Christ we must put these things to death in our lives…put them away so that the world does not see them and we do not partake in them!
The list Paul puts here are things that come ‘naturally’ to all humanity… but they are ALL things Christ is able to deliver us from…things like:
Anger – Anger is not a sin in and of itself because Paul tells us that we can be angry, but we are not to allow that anger to lead to sin. However, here Paul is speaking of a jealous anger that is fueled and sustained by a selfish notion that we are right and someone else (even God) is wrong. Spiritually speaking many people get ‘angry’ when told they were doing something wrong.
Wrath – wrath is the arrogant position humanity takes in meting out God’s justice in this world. This is NOT our place or responsibility, we are called to live humbly and seek peace with everyone…not to be judge and bring judgment!
Obscene Talk – this represents foul language or course language, but I want you all to know that it also represents ‘false’ language such as lying to others AND gossiping about others!
Lying – Paul relates here that lying to other believers is simply not acceptable. As you heard today, God’s commands from the 10 commandments was that we NOT bear false witness… this is NOT who we are to be!
Paul ends v9 with a simple instruction to the Colossian believers, he says to, …seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices... in other words, the way you USED to live before Jesus came into your life… you have to put those ways aside, leave them behind… they are NOT who you are anymore!
In v10 Paul says, 10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Part of knowing WHO we are NOT to be in Christ is recognizing who we ARE in Him. Paul calls these believers to put on the ‘new self’ which is the person who has been restored in Christ Jesus!
I want us to notice that Paul uses creation language here in this verse to reassure these believers that IN CHRIST they were restored back to the innocence and intimacy of the created order!
Humanity was created in God’s image and God said it was ‘very good’, however, we fell away and were separated by our sin, but now in Christ we have been returned to that state of innocence and purity before God.
Finally here in realizing who we are NOT in v11 Paul says: 11Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.
For the believer… for the renewed, restored, reconciled person ‘in Christ’ there is no distinction! We are all the same in the eyes of Christ. We are all saved the same, loved the same and will enjoy God’s glory the same. This also means that we ALL also have the same purpose and focus here in this world…
So we must FIRST focus on who we ARE in Christ, but Paul emphasizes that we also must focus on remembering who we are NOT in Christ, but finally this morning…
We must focus on living out who we ARE in Christ v12-17
12Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him..
In v12 Paul reveals the traits or characteristics that should emanate from the life of one who follows Christ. A follower of Jesus must be willing to take off the ‘old self’ and to put on the ‘new self’.
The putting on of the ‘new self’ is placed here as an action we must make on our own. God is not going to force this upon us. We must make the willing decision to serve Him and see His will done.
When we put on the ‘new self’ Paul says it looks like this:
A Compassionate Heart – which is a yearning to meet the needs of those less fortunate. This is a burning heart’s desire to reveal the love of Christ to the world around us. It is the desire of believers to share the love of God – (read Rom 5:8-9) we must exhibit that same sort of love to the world around us with a compassionate heart!
Kindness – this is a moral goodness and approach to life that you are NOT better than others and that you place the needs of others in front of yourself.
Humility – understanding WHO you are before a holy God. You are a sinner saved by His amazing grace!
Meekness – this is a gentle spirit but not a doormat… represents power under control
Patience – means you become slow in laying blame or assigning wrong. In fact, you allow God to do those things. You are able to bear with people in difficult times…
Bearing with one another… being there to lift up others in your fellowship because as Paul says we are knit together in love… in love we cannot refuse or put off a brother in need.
Forgiving – discounting/even dismissing our right to judge and pass judgment. It does not absolve the offending party of guilt but it does release us from the bondage of holding it against them.
Love – the is the Greek word agape which means unconditional love. This is the most important characteristic Paul points out… this type of love binds us to God and to others as well. Love brings about harmony and success within the Body of Christ.
Paul concludes these verses speaking about what happens to you as you begin to apply these things in your life:
16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
The Peace of Christ – seeing things THRU His eyes, experiencing God’s perspective and peace in this dark world and troubled life
Thankful in heart – a believer will find thankfulness in obedience to God’s calling. God will honor those who honor him and having a thankful heart is a great benefit to serving in obedience.
God’s Word dwelling richly in you- this reveals your heart to know God on a deeper level. Through the study of God’s word… thru the application of God’s word in your life…thru the reading of God’s word to illuminate your heart… thru the hearing of Sunday School lessons… thru the hearing of God’s word in sermons… ALL of these things enhance our walk in Christ!
Teaching/Admonishing each other – In LOVE we are called to hold each other accountable in our walk with Christ… but this HAS to be done in love…when done properly it builds unity and fellowship, but if done unjustly it will cause division.
Songs/Psalms/Spiritual Songs – represent the worship of likeminded believers. Worshiping together, celebrating Jesus as Savior, and finally Paul issues a general ‘catch all’ for action
Whatever You Do…this implication is not simply about the big things of life, but in our everyday lives, the small little mundane tasks… Paul is telling us that when we recognize who we are in Christ, worship flows forth from that attitude.
We must know who we ARE in Christ! We are called out by God to reveal the mysteries of God to this world, that is Jesus Christ our Savior!
We must know who we are NOT in Christ as well. Put aside or put to death those things that are NOT of Christ! Paul tells us to put aside the nature of our ‘old self’ and seek to put on the ‘new nature’ that we have in Christ Jesus.
We must recognize how we are to present ourselves to the world around us. We must:
Have compassionate hearts toward each other and the world around us…
Show kindness in all we do
Exhibit a humble spirit at all times
Exhibiting a meek spirit in all our attitude and actions
Seek to be patient with those in our life as well as the lost people we come in contact with
Seek to bear up the burdens of a fellow church member…
Seek to be forgiving in our hearts in all aspects of our lives…
Seek to love all God places in our path…
Seek to live out a thankful attitude in our hearts…
Seek to dwelling on God’s word for instruction and guidance in our lives... to nurture and teach ourselves and others!
How can you apply this message this morning?
FIRST, determine WHO you are in Christ. Do you know your position in His kingdom? Do you know where you are supposed to line up as a team member in our fellowship? Where has God called you to serve? I cannot determine that for you… that is something between YOU and God.
SECOND, you must know how to AVOID who you are NOT to be as a believer. We are saved and free in Christ but that freedom does not mean we can live our lives in an ungodly manner. We must learn to ‘put away’ or ‘put to death’ those things in our lives that are NOT Christ-like! Things like: anger, wrath, malice, slander and obscene talk as well as lying to one another…
Finally you must LIVE out your life as a believer so that the world can come to know Christ… we must live OUT our lives so that our focus on Christ accomplishes our purpose in letting the world know who Jesus is…
Put into practice those things that reveal Jesus, things like: a compassionate heart, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, bearing with/caring for one another, forgiveness and Christian love…
Our focus must be on WHO we are and how we live and here Paul lays out who we are … we are the redeemed and reconciled! We are NOT those who remain in our old self and harbor those old habits, but we shine forth by putting on the ‘new self’ found in Christ Jesus and His attributes shine forth in our lives so that the world KNOWS who He is through the way we live our lives!
Does your life today represent a ‘focused life’ for Christ? Do you know who you are in Him? Where you line up in His kingdom?
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