Three Foot World
Colossians Series, April 30th, 2023
Scripture: Colossians 3:1-11
Introduction-
I’ve been doing a lot of reading about mental health issues lately, and have noticed an uptick in the amount of people we are seeing in the ER seeking help for mental illness. 5/6 shifts in the last pay period, I had someone with a mental health issue. Depression seems to be at the top of the list lately.
Is anyone here struggling with feelings of depression lately? Being run down, emotionally or spiritually exhausted?
Maybe, even feeling like you are burned out?
If so, you’re in the right place. To many times, we think it’s ungodly to feel like this- that a Christians should feel happy, joyful, and see only puppy dogs and rainbows in every situation.
But that’s not reality.
If you read the Gospels, you’ll see that the author of our faith- the LORD Jesus had times of sorrow, of depression, and even fear. Right before he went to the cross, he said that his soul felt sorrowful, even to the point of death.
Even in the Old Testament- The prophet Daniel spoke of the days we are living in, when the spiritual power of wickedness, controlled by the spirit of the antichrist will be running freely among us.
Listen to what Daniel says about this spirit of antichrist-
Dan 7:25 NASB
'And he will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One
So if your spirit is feeling out of sorts, like suddenly in the last few years that you are living in an alternate American from some dystopian movie-
That just means your spirit is crying out because of the onslaught of evil coming upon our world.
Just this last week-
There were numerous legitimate news stories so out there that are so outrageous that I thought I was reading the National Enquirer’s website.
I had a list of them, but deleted it because some of them are so evil and disgusting….I just couldn’t do it.
All I can say is this- pray for America. We deserve God’s judgment, but pray for mercy and revival instead.
We as members of the Kingdom of God have to face the truth that there is something I fear might be irrevocably broken in our nation.
So how do we face this? How do fulfill the command of Christ to stand against the devil and his evil schemes, especially when it could start costing us something to do so?
First, I’d like to remind us.
As much as the news of the day can be depressing, I read the end of the bible.
Jesus Wins. Let me say that again- Jesus wins!
In fact, He has already won, and we are living in the tension of the Kingdom that is real, here, and present but not visibly. It’s being birthed, and just like any mother here will tell you, birth is a painful process that we all might have to experience in the near future.
Your attitude about that is telling- it shows where your true focus is. If talking about the end times fills you with fear then that shows that your focus is off a little.
This morning we are going to be exploring this a little, and I’m going to give you some hints on the kind of attitude you will need to survive and thrive what I think is coming.
Turn in your bibles to Colossian’s Chapter 3. We are going to look at the winning mindset that will help us get through what is coming.
Scripture-
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Prayer
Premise-
I was reading a book by a Navy Seal, and he was teaching about a concept called “Three Foot World”- the title of today’s message.
What that means is when faced with difficult, dangerous, or impossible circumstances, focus on what you can control within three feet of where you were, and trust your teammates to do the same.
The Army teaches something similar- I just never heard it called that.
One time my light infantry unit was conducting a training exercise in which we were we were going to simulate an attack on an enemy camp.
It started with us being dropped off 25KM, or 15 miles away and then having to tactically move to the objective on foot. This was testing our ability to navigate to the objective using maps and a compass (way before GPS), and our ability to move tactically- quiet, fast providing alternating elements doing cover and movement. It looks like kind of like leapfrog- one squad covers, then the other moves, and vice versa. Now when you are quickly and quietly moving forward, hitting the ground or kneeling behind a tree for cover, and then repeating that a few times a minute with all of that gear - it’s exhausting, especially running up and down hills in the deep forest and it was raining for some of it. About ¾ of the way through, I was spent- I didn’t change my socks so my feet were covered with blisters, I was soaked and freezing cold, and just not enjoying myself.
That was one of the lessons you learned in this training- how to persevere when you are mentally, emotionally, and physically done.
You are ready to tap out, call the medics, and become one of the dirtiest words in the US armed forces- a quitter.
One of the instructors told us that perseverance is simple, and it comes down the that 3-foot world concept. Your focus is going to determine your success. Instead of focusing on the huge task before you, break it down into smaller chunks.
Have you ever heard the saying-“How do you eat an elephant?”
The answer is, “One bite at a time”
So if you are on mile 3 of a 15 mile hike, don’t think about the 13 miles left to go.
Instead focus on getting to the next hill. Or tell yourself, I have 30 minutes left in me- just do it. After that 30 minutes, you’ll find you have another 30 minutes, or maybe two more hills left in you.
You have a string of little victories along the way- you did it, and then at the end, you will have completed your task and have that sense of being an winner.
I use a military example for this on purpose, because it does reflect a mindset that believers have to develop in these last days, and it was reflected in our opening verses.
2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
Three foot world- This includes worrying about tomorrow. Or worrying about the future in general. We should be wise in understanding the times and preparing, but not obsess about it to the point of loosing our joy, or doubting our faith.
However, when you start thinking about, “Man, it’s bad now, what is it going to be like a year from now?”
That’s when your spirit gets overwhelmed.
Jesus agrees with that and he left these words for us-
Matt 6:25-27 NIV
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life ?
Focus on today. 3 foot world. Let Jesus worry about tomorrow.
For the Christian, that three foot world is God, family, Church, friends- the things that really matter in your life.
Now it’s wise to be prepared. The bible says a fool sees danger coming and does nothing.
It’s smart to have a working smoke and carbon monoxide alarm.
It’s wise to have a fire extinguisher and train everyone how to use one.
However, being so afraid of a possible fire that you set an alarm to wake up every 90 minutes to walk the house and check for fires is not healthy.
It’s wise to have a nest egg of money.
It’s crazy in January to have your heat shut off so you don’t spend the money.
See the difference?
Preparation for the potential hazards is fine. Seeing the way the world is going and choosing to learn new things about homesteading or survival is a good thing.
But constantly dwelling on them to the point of anxiety is what is going to drive you crazy with worry, and drive a wedge into your spirit that will damage your relationship with God.
If you fail in this, there is a consequence- that worry and anxiety will have to be dealt with one way or another. You can deal with it the way Christ instructs you to deal with it by giving it to HIM, or
You WILL choose the way of the world and be driven into the temptations of the enemy.
The way the enemy tries to get us to deal with this kind of anxiety and worry is to dangle things of the flesh in front of us in an effort to give us a false sense of fulfillment or relief apart from God.
Paul lists them out here in verse 5
5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.
The enemy has an entire encyclopedia set with your name on it.
In those pages, he has a list of what to dangle in front of you for whatever weakness he thinks you might be vulnerable to at that moment.
Here is an example from most of our history-
People in 1999 were watching too much cable news- start fearing for the future so you go online and order thousands of dollars in survival equipment.
Remember Y2K? People made millions and millions of dollars selling all kinds of survival food, shelters, generators and such. I knew people that spent their retirement savings on this stuff, and it was all motivated by fear.
The enemy still does it today- Stressed out at work, he dangles finally accepting that invitation to go out for a few drinks with friends to numb the anxiety.
In a fight with your significant other before they leave for work. You’re home alone, and the pull of the internet starts in you soul- beckoning you to fulfill your needs with an inappropriate online relationship or porn.
The devil has that list for you.
That’s why Jesus says to put all of that to death. Take away anything that the enemy can use against you. Don’t give the devil a foothold.
Specific to our discussion here-
If fear of the future has a grip on your emotions regarding fear of the future- remember that Jesus is already there.
The entire triune Godhead exists outside of this thing we call time.
Isaiah 46:10
Declaring the end and the result from the beginning,
And from ancient times the things which have not [yet] been done,
Saying, ‘My purpose will be established,
And I will do all that pleases Me and fulfills My purpose,’
Ruler illustration/timeline in the basement
It’s a matter of perspective. Do you have a perspective that trusts in God, or in the things of this earth to bring you security and peace?
This is exactly what is wrong with our world today.
They have believed the lie that the things of this earth can offer us as much peace, joy, fulfillment, and freedom from worry and anxiety as God can.
That was the first lie ever told- by Lucifer to Eve-
remember satan told Eve she could be like God- follow me and I’ll show you the knowledge God is holding back from you.
It was the first lie, and really the only lie because all of the other lies that the enemy uses against you finds it root in that one. If you believe it-
You can know what we talked about a few weeks ago- satan’s so called deep secrets.
WE have a term for that in our modern American culture- being woke.
Being woke is nothing but swallowing these so called deep secrets as truth.
It started out small- just small compromises about biblical truth in the 70’s and 80’s.
The bible says a little leaven left to it’s own, leavens the whole loaf.
Another way of saying this- You don’t ignore a small speck of mold on a single piece of a loaf of bread- you thrown out the whole piece before it spreads and ruins the rest.
That’s the result of what we are facing today- we allowed them to rewrite morality – in other words, we let the mold grow, and now it’s ruining everything,
And not only for us as adults- now they are coming for our kids.
This tactic isn’t new by the way,
Solomon said, what was, will be again. There is nothing new under the sun.
Same demons, same tactics, same results.
In the end, It is always a matter of the heart, and what we long for.
That’s why The bible continues in verse 8
8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
Being a paramedic for a long period of time, I’ve had thousands of patients in my care, and when you sit next to them for long periods of time you start talking about all kinds of things. Occasionally, some of them would ask what I do with my spare time.
I’d say, “I don’t have a lot of spare time. I work 48+ hours a week here, and in my off-duty times, I serve as a pastor.”
It’s always very funny seeing the look on their face when you tell them you are a pastor. Usually they say, “Cool, I go to such and such church”
Now up to then, they have been very free with their language and suddenly they yank the halo out of their back pocket and throw it on.
I don’t care so much about profanity. Maybe because I’ve been in the military, followed working for fire departments and paramedics who language would make a sailor blush.
Personally, I chose not to use it because in 99.99999% of the time I believe there are better, more God honoring ways of getting my point across- which is why God tells us in that last verse to rid ourselves of filthy language.
The bible says it’s out of the mediation of the heart that the mouth speaks, so if you find yourself swearing a lot, then that’s an indication that there is something in your heart that you need to give to God.
A little bit of a rant here- There are a number of people I know that claim to be Christians, but use the name of Jesus as a expression of frustration, or as an curse word.
There should be an absolute prohibition in the Christian’s heart from using Jesus’ name as a curse. He should be the one you love most in this life, and you wouldn’t stand for someone talking trash about your loved ones, so don’t use that name as your favorite cuss word.
End of rant
The bible always points us back to what is in our hearts.
Jesus showed us the importance of what is in our hearts in the Sermon on the Mount-
Jesus didn’t stop at the act of murder. Jesus said if you hate someone you are guilty of murder.
Jesus didn’t stop at the act of committing adultery. Jesus said if you lust after someone not your spouse, you commit adultery.
Jesus didn’t stop at the act of stealing what isn’t yours. Jesus said if you covet what they have, you have already broken the commandment.
It’s all a matter of our hearts, and what is in our hearts disrupts our ability to have this three foot world where we are only focusing on God and his plan for our lives, and leaving the rest to him.
I’m going to close with one more verse taken from Hebrews 12. Really, it’s the capstone for the Christian on our ability to remain calm in the midst of the current chaos, and that chaos still to come.
All rise-
Ending prayer to pray over congregation
Landing Strip- Hebrews 12:1-3
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
