CITiZENS OF HIS KINGDOM
Text: Colossians 3:1 - 4
Colossians 3:1-4: If then ye were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God. Col 3:2 Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are upon the earth. Col 3:3 For ye died, and your life is hid with Christ in God. Col 3:4 When Christ, [who is] our life, shall be manifested, then shall ye also with him be manifested in glory.
Secretary's dilemma: "Since I've used all my sick days . . . I'm calling in dead!" Timeless Treasures. Have you ever known anybody to use this excuse? We laugh at the humor in this way of thinking but death is a subject that makes us uncomfortable. How would you like to get a letter that had a closing reminding you of your mortality? Consider this joke to that effect: “Did you hear about the undertaker who closed his letters with the words,
"Eventually yours"?” Timeless Treasures.
We all need hope. We cannot function well without hope. As the Bible says it is appointed for man to die once and then the judgment (Hebrews 9:26). The Bible also points out that hope deferred makes the heart sick (Proverbs ). Our hope or its lack determines how we view death. Consider the words of Billy Graham who said ….
• . . the way we view death determines, to a surprising degree, the way we live our lives. —Billy Graham, Facing Death and the Life After
• To the Christian death is the exchanging of a tent for a building.
—Billy Graham, Till Armageddon
At the funeral of Louis XIV, the cathedral was filled with mourners who had come to pay their final tribute to the King, whom they all considered to be great. The room was dark, save for one lone candle illuminating the gold casket which held the mortal remains of the monarch. At the appointed time, the Court preacher stood to address the citizens. As he rose he reached from his pulpit and snuffed out the one candle which had been put their alone to symbolize the greatness of the King. Then from the darkness came just four words, “God only is great”. (Emerson Colaw. Beliefs Of A United Methodist Christian. Nashville: Discipleship Resources, 1987, pp. 23-24). Do you know why God is so great? God is so great because He sent Jesus to deliver us from sin, death and the fear of death!
1. On the cross, Jesus paid the price for our sins and He gives us His righteousness in exchange for our sins. We call that grace.
2. Jesus conquered death (I Corinthians 15:26) which is the last enemy to be conquered!
3. Jesus took the sting out of death because God resurrected Him from the dead (I Corinthians 15:56). That is why the grave has no victory (I Corinthians 15:55).
4. Jesus Has given us our victory through His resurrection.
Why are all of these things important? These things are important because we cannot set our minds on the things above without these victories of how Jesus conquered sin, death and the fear of death.
CONSIDER THE EMPTY TOMB
Consider the empty tomb and what it means.
1. Like the wonderful sermon sentence that someone came up with: “The tomb is empty so you don’t have to be”.
2. Jeremy, a terminally ill student, was twelve years old and still in the second grade. He couldn't learn, made unusual noises, and often drooled. To most kids he was an object of humor; to his teacher, Jeremy was an exasperatingly difficult student. Three months before he died, both students and teacher changed their opinion of him. Miss Miller gave an assignment before Easter that required all of the students to take an empty plastic egg and bring it back the next day with something in the egg that represented new life. The teacher planned to call Jeremy's parents that night and explain the assignment so that Jeremy would do what she asked, but several emergencies prevented her from calling. When she opened the nineteen eggs with the children, the first one had a flower in it, and the teacher affirmed the fact that a flower represents new life. The second egg contained a butterfly, which everyone agreed signified new life. A third egg with a moss-covered rock demonstrated new life as well. To the chagrin of Miss Miller, the fourth egg was empty. She quickly guessed it was Jeremy's egg and laid it down without comment. Jeremy piped up, "Miss Miller, aren't you going to talk about my egg?" Flustered, she said, "Jeremy, your egg is empty." He looked softly into her eyes and replied, "Yes, but Jesus' tomb was empty, too!" Miss Miller later spent the recess period crying with a softened heart. Three months later when Jeremy died, his theology was represented by nineteen plastic eggs on his casket--all of which were empty. The great hope of Easter is found in an empty tomb that promises new life. (Raymond McHenry. ed. McHenry’s Quips, Quotes And Other Notes. [quoted from: Focus On The Family. April 1988, p. 2-3]. Third Printing. Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers, 2004, pp. 238 – 239).
THE BIBLICAL EVIDENCE
Christianity is based on the resurrection of Jesus Christ who died and rose again. There are many who dispute the resurrection of Jesus Christ. They are the kind of people who tend to think scientifically. They are also the kind of people who must see before they will believe. “Science says if there is any such thing as infallible proof, it is the repetition of the same experiment.
Jesus rose from the dead, and Mary Magdalene encountered him--experiment one. The women encountered him--experiment two. The disciples encountered him--experiment three. The apostles encountered him--experiment four. Five hundred people saw him after the Resurrection--experiment five.
Each one of these is the repetition of the same experiment. They all encountered the same phenomenon. What was it? He was alive! That's what changed the history of the world”. (David P. Barrett. ed. More Perfect Illustrations For Every Topic And Occasion.. [Citation: Walter Martin and Jill Martin Rische, Through the Windows of Heaven (Broadman & Holman, 1999)]. “Proof Of The Resurrection,”. Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. 2003, p240). These five “experiments”---eyewitnesses of the resurrected Jesus Christ have a testimony that gives hope to all who will believe.
Who can forget the Emmaus Road witnesses? We read about this account in Luke 24:13 -35. There are times when we are slow heart to believe just like those two disciples on the road to Emmaus.
THE GREAT COMMISSION
We read about this Great commission in both Luke 24 and Matthew 28. How busy are we at making new disciples?
We are called to seek the things that are above and to set our minds on the things that are above. We live in this world while we are citizens of heaven. Setting our minds on the things above and seeking the things above seems to be an echo of the great commission. Colossians 3 calls us to make a difference and the Grate Commission reminds us of the impact that difference can have in making disciples.
I read the story about a little boy who refused an invitation to come to the altar at a Vacation Bible School during what they called a “decision” service. Someone later sensed that this boy refused to come even though he wanted to. When asked why he didn’t respond, he said, “I didn’t think you’d want me”. (T. T. Crabtree. ed. The Zondervan 2001 Pastor’s Annual. Tom S. Brandon. “Renew My Vision”. Grand Rapids: The Zondervan Publishing House, 2000, p. 262). The world is full of people who think that nobody wants them. Unless we are thinking of the things above and setting seeking those things, then we will not be helping with our part in the great commission.
