Sermon 8 - Seeking Things Above Series

Introduction:

A. Young children are funny to watch (especially when they are other people’s children).

1. One of the first words they learn is “mine.”

2. They think that everything is theirs – whatever they see, they grab and say: “mine!”

B. Unfortunately, many people never grow up or outgrow that mindset.

1. One of our world’s favorite mantras is “It’s my life, I’ll live it the way I want to.”

2. Frank Sinatra famously sang: “I did it my way.”

3. Billy Joel’s popular song of 1978 declared: “I don't care what you say anymore, this is my life.

Go ahead with your own life, leave me alone.”

4. In 2000, Bon Jovi had a popular song that announced: “It’s my life, it’s now or never, I ain’t gonna live forever…like Frankie said: “I did it my way,” I just wanna live while I’m alive (it’s my life).”

C. While it is true, in many respects, that everyone’s life is their own to do with what they like, no one can live the way they want without consequences for their choices.

1. And for the person who has decided to become a disciple of Jesus, they have given over their life to Jesus, and that decision has benefits and responsibilities.

2. Today, as we move into Colossians chapter 3, Paul turns his attention away from the doctrinal matters about the false teachers, and turns his attention to the practical realities of our new lives in Christ.

3. Disciples of Jesus have a new life in Christ and that new life has a different perspective and has moral obligations.

4. Today, we will look at the two primary instructions that Paul gave his readers in Col. 3:1-11:

a. First, Seek the Heavenly.

b. Second, Slay the Earthly.

I. Seek the Heavenly (3:1-4)

A. Paul wrote: 1 So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the 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 hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (Col. 3:1-4)

1. Paul began with two commands and then gave the reason for the commands.

a. In other words, Paul gave the “what” and the “why.”

2. The commands are “seek the things above” and “set your minds on things above.”

3. So, let’s talk about what Paul means by those commands and the reasons behind them.

B. When trying to understand what something means, sometimes it is helpful to begin with what it doesn’t mean.

1. When Paul tells us to “seek things above” and “set your minds on things above,” Paul wasn’t telling us that we should be so heavenly minded that we are of no earthly good.

2. Disciples of Jesus are not to withdraw completely from work and activities in the world.

3. Paul is not calling for escape and isolation, as a matter of fact, later in this letter, Paul will lay down some guidelines and principles for living in the world and how to have an impact on the world.

C. So, when Paul tells us to “seek the things above” and to “set your minds on things above,” he is encouraging us to focus on Christ and realize that our attitudes, ambitions, and our whole outlook should be molded by Jesus and by the things of heaven.

1. Let’s illustrate it with a couple of illustrations.

2. “Setting our minds on things above” is like having a heavenly tracking device or GPS.

3. Or, “setting our minds on things above” is like having a spiritual compass.

4. An earthly compass always points north, and a spiritual compass always points to God.

5. By following our spiritual compass, or tracking device or GPS, then we will always be guided in the right direction.

6. The effect of seeking the heavenly will be profound.

a. With our hearts and minds focused on heaven, we will have the proper perspective of this world.

b. Whenever we look at things from a different vantage point, then our perspective changes – think about the effects of an aerial view of something or the different camera angles of instant replay.

c. In light of things above, the world’s wealth and ambitions, activities and pleasures are seen for their true value, in the context of the heavenly.

d. Many of the things of this earth may not be sinful in and of themselves, but they become sinful if they are sought in preference to things above.

7. Having the heavenly view at all times will help us maintain a godly and spiritual set of values and priorities.

D. Paul didn’t just command the heavenly view, he also explained the reason for it.