Turned Series

Turned

Jeffery Anselmi / General Adult

Turn / Repentance / Colossians 3:1–7

Once we have turned to God in repentance, how do we stay turned?

INTRODUCTION

OPENING TITLE SLIDE

• Today we conclude our series entitled “Turn,” which has focused on the heart of repentance.

• In the conclusion today, we will explore a concept of repentance that is vital for us to grasp.

• The word we translate as “repent” from the Greek means to change one's mind or purpose.

• This involves a transformation in thinking and living.

• The word often involves recognizing that something done was wrong, feeling sorrow for it, and making a decision to change one's behavior or actions in the future.

• In religious contexts, it often includes confessing the wrongdoing and seeking forgiveness.

• Hence, this is why the series is entitled Turn.

• Our concluding message in this series is called TURNED.

• Hook: We often talk about repentance as a turning from something.

• But what about the turning to something?

• And more importantly, what about staying turned?

• Is repentance a single U-turn or a continuous journey?

• Context: In our "Turn" series, we've explored the initial act of repentance—that moment of turning away from sin and towards God.

• Today, we're going to dive into what it means to stay turned.

• Paul, in Colossians, gives us practical insights into this ongoing spiritual discipline.

• Passage Introduction: Colossians 3:1-7 provides a powerful framework for understanding this "staying turned."

• It's not just about what we don't do, but profoundly about who we are in Christ and how that transforms our desires and actions.

› Big Idea: True repentance isn't a one-time event but an ongoing process of actively aligning our lives with Christ, empowered by His resurrection, and evidenced by a radical shift in our desires and actions.

• Let’s begin our journey with verses 1 and 2!

Colossians 3:1–2 NET 2nd ed.

1 Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

2 Keep thinking about things above, not things on the earth,

SERMON

MAIN POINT 1 SLIDE

I. Keep your mind turned toward heaven.

• The thing that we turn to is the fact that we have been raised with Christ; therefore, we are called to keep seeking the things above.

• Why?

• Because that is where Christ is seated, at the right hand of the Father!

• Colossians 2:12 reminds us:

Colossians 2:12 NET 2nd ed.

12 Having been buried with him in baptism, you also have been raised with him through your faith in the power of God who raised him from the dead.

• The word translated “raised with” literally means to be “co-resurrected.”

• When we have been raised with Christ, everything in our lives needs to be changed, and that happens when we seek the things from above.

Romans 12:2 NET 2nd ed.

2 Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God—what is good and well-pleasing and perfect.

RENEWING MIND SLIDE

• The renewing of the mind will only happen when we keep our minds turned toward heaven!

• We are speaking of a mindset transformation: "Keep seeking the things above" is translated in many versions as "set your minds," which speaks to a deliberate and continuous act of focusing our thoughts.

• It's an active choice to direct our inner world towards heavenly realities, rather than earthly distractions or sinful desires.

• The purpose of keeping our minds turned toward heaven is so that we not only know heaven's priorities but also work on putting them into daily practice.

• Knowing the priorities means nothing unless we work to put them into practice.

• We need to realize that seeking the things from above is not chasing phantoms, but it is gathering treasures.

• Our faith struggles come from the fact that we are not always in active pursuit of the things from above.

• Think about things you have had to repent for; those issues were not caused by properly seeking and striving to live in line with the things above.

• We get ourselves into trouble when we lose sight of what is important and we start using people to get what we selfishly want instead of loving people as we are called to do by God.

• Upward Gaze: Because we are raised with Him, our orientation shifts.

• Our desires, our goals, and our focus should be "above" on Christ and His kingdom.

• This is where our true life is found.

• Think of a compass.

• If we're truly turned, our needle constantly points North, to Christ.