“SET YOUR MIND ON THINGS ABOVE” Col. 3:1-4
FBCF – 8/4/24
Jon Daniels
INTRO – Olympics – Women’s 10 mm air rifle competition – Bullseye the size of a period in size 12 font – shooting from 33 feet away – South Korea’s Ban Hyo-Jin won gold by 1/10 of a point over a shooter from China. US shooter, Sagen Maddalena, placed 4th.
Amazed by the skill of these shooters. They wear heavy clothing that helps them be as still as possible. Wear eye gear that helps them zero in on target. It’s all about focus & concentration.
Same is true in our lives as Christ-followers. Focus & concentration both needed for us to grow in our walk w/ Christ & navigate our way through all of the experiences that life throws at us – some good, some bad.
Watch this video: NELON VIDEO (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITLqGzdsWt8)
The 3 people in that video were a father & mother, Jason & Kelly Nelon Clark, & daughter, Amber. They along w/ the Amber’s husband & 3 other people were all killed in a plane crash on Fri, July 26, on their way to a Gaither Homecoming Cruise. The sole survivor of the family is daughter, Autumn, who also sings w/ them & was going to meet them at the cruise later. She & her husband are expecting their first child & first grandchild in the family in December.
How do you navigate through this type of tragedy? How do you make it through this type of storm? By staying focused on Jesus & concentrating on Him & His Word. Amber posted on Instagram, “We appreciate your prayers, love, & support as we navigate the coming days.” Their pastor said, “A faith that cannot be tested is a faith that cannot be trusted.” (Stephen Peeples)
Today, we are going to talk about that focus & concentration as we look at Colossians 3:1-4 w/ this message entitled, “Set Your Mind on Things Above.”
EXPLANATION – Colossians 3:1-4 (p. 984)
Remind you that the theme of Colossians is the Superiority of Christ – the dominance, excellence, perfection, preeminence, prestige, & supremacy of Christ. There are many people today who are like the false teachers in Colossae – the Judaizers. They will give Jesus Christ a place of eminence – a high place, but not necessarily the HIGHEST place. Jesus doesn’t deserve just a high place or high recognition or high honor. He deserves & is supremely worthy of the highest place, highest recognition, highest honor. He is not a “great Man among great men” – He is not just a great prophet or A god or A son of God. He is God – the Son – the 2nd Person of the Trinity, preeminent & superior over all! The first 2 chapters of Colossian powerfully establish this truth:
- Colossians 1:15-19
- Colossians 2:9-10
Chapter 3 begins the practical section of the letter as Paul begins to outline how we are to live our lives as Christ-followers based on the truths given to us in chapters 1 & 2. Christ is preeminent in the Gospel, the cross, creation, & the Church, & He must be preeminent in our lives. That’s why this sermon series is called “Our Life in Christ.”
APPLICATION – The life of the Christ-follower must be one of focus & concentration on Jesus.
IF – v. 1a – IF is a big word w/ 2 letters. I know you know what it means, but let me give you the actual dictionary definition of this little big word: “in case that; granting or supposing that; on condition that”
- “In case that you’ve been raised w/ Christ…Granting or supposing that you’ve been raised w/ Christ…On condition that you’ve been raised w/ Christ”
Before we go any further into these verses, let’s consider what it means to be raised w/ Christ. Let’s consider WHO is raised w/ Christ.
WHAT IS IT? To be raised w/ Christ means that the very life of Jesus abides in us. When He gave His life for us, He raised us from our spiritual grave & set us on the throne in heaven w/ Him. It means that b/c HE is alive forever, those of us who know Him are alive forever, too.
- Ephesians 2:6 – “For [God] raised us from the dead along w/ Christ, & we are seated w/ Him in the heavenly realms – all b/c we are one w/ Christ Jesus.” (NLT)
WHO, THEN, IS RAISED W/ CHRIST? Only those who have “received Christ Jesus the Lord” (2:6) – “accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord” (NLT).
That’s why the word “IF” is such a big word! IF you have accepted Jesus, THEN you have been raised w/ Him. IF you have NOT accepted Jesus, THEN you have NOT been raised w/ Him. You’re still dead & need to accept Christ right now!
SEEK – v. 1b – Now that we’ve established who has been raised w/ Christ & now that some of you were JUST raised w/ Christ, look at where our minds should be – “seek the things that are above” – “set your sights on the realities of heaven” (NLT).
As Christ-followers, we are not people who are living in the land of the living going to the land of the dying. We are living in the land of the dying going to the land of the living! We are headed to heaven! We are headed home – our true home – our eternal home – our perfect home!
- John 14:2-3 – “In my Father’s house…”
- We are going to see Jesus face to face!
- We are going to see the nail prints in His hands & feet!
- We are going to hear His voice, see His smile, feel His embrace!
- We are going to worship & serve Him for all eternity! Our worship & service here is just rehearsal for heaven!
- “When we all get to heaven”/“I Can Only Imagine”
SET – v. 2 – Not only do we “seek” the things that are above – we “set our minds on things that are above.”
- “Seek” means that we pursue those things – “Set” means we ponder on those things.
- “Seek” means we live our lives in light of the reality of heaven. “Set” means to focus our minds & emotions on heaven
- “Seek” means your life is filled w/ heavenly priorities. “Set” means your mind is filled w/ heavenly truths.
- When someone says, “I set my mind to it”, that means that they are going to get it done – even to the point of being stubborn.
- Let’s have a holy stubbornness about heaven! You know how Autumn Nelon is going to get through the grief of losing her mother, father, sister, & brother-in-law all at one time in that plane crash? By stubbornly setting her mind on heaven. That’s how you will get through your storms, too!
REASON – v. 3 – Here’s the reason why we can & will seek & set our minds on heaven: B/c we have died to ourselves & to this world & our lives are now “hidden w/ Christ in God.”
“Hidden” means “concealed & safe.” It means “security & satisfaction” (Wiersbe).
- A.T. Robertson: “So here we are in Christ, who is in God, & no burglar, not even Satan himself, can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.”
- Romans 8:31-39 - 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
- We are safe & secure in the love of God. We are safe & secure in Christ. We are safe & secure in heaven. That’s our motive & strength for living.
RESULT – v. 4 – Jesus is seated at the right hand of the throne of God right now interceding for us. But one day, the Father will give the word & Jesus will come to take us home.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 - 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.
The glorious result for every Christ-follower who is raised w/ Christ & hidden safe & secure in Christ is that, when Jesus appears, we will appear w/ Him. The result of being saved is that we have this hope, this promise.
- This hope moves us to live a life that glorifies Him.
- This promise motivates us to tell others about Him.
- This hope moves us to worship Him.
- This promise motivates us to serve Him.
