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Colossians  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  1:21:54
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INTRODUCTION

Today we’re gonna
continue our series in
the book of Colossians.
Let’s turn together
in our Bibles
to Colossians
chapter 3.
& we’re gonna read
verses 1-10.
Colossians 3:1-10
& when you find that
in your Bible
pls stand for the reading
of God’s Word.
The title of
today’s teaching is
Renewed in God’s Image
Part 1:
In Colossians 3:1-10
Colossians 3:1–10 (NASB 2020)
Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth.
For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
Therefore, treat the parts of your earthly body as dead to sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.
For it is because of these things that the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience,
and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them.
But now you also, rid yourselves of all of them: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene speech from your mouth.
Do not lie to one another, since you stripped off the old self with its evil practices,
and have put on the new self, which is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created it—
You may be seated.
So far in this letter
Paul has focused
mainly on
right doctrine.
He’s reminded
the saints in Colossae
& us
that the gospel
they heard abt
the Lord Jesus Christ
is the Apostolic faith.
He’s encouraged us
to stick w/
that faith.
& make sure
we do not allow ourselves
to be carried away
by the false philosophies
of puffed up preachers
who come up w/
something new.
The knowledge
that leads to salvation
has been once for all
delivered to the saints
in the Church.
In the Church
all of humanity
is invited to become
a part of
the new creation
in the kingdom of Light
where we can be
renewed in God’s image.
In today’s passage
Paul starts
to turn the corner
frm doctrine
into application.
He begins to
gives us
concrete ways
to apply
the truths of the gospel
to our lives.
Today we’ll
talk abt two things
we must do
to be
Renewed in God’s Image.
PRAYER
Let’s pray.
Holy Father
open our minds & hearts
to receive the truth
& give us grace
to walk in the truth.
In Jesus name.
Amen.
[Transition: The 1st thing
we’ve gotta do to be
Renewed in
God’s Image is.
We’ve gotta...]
Seek and set our minds on heavenly things
Paul starts today’s passage
by once again
reminding us what
happens in our baptism.
& if it seems like
I’ve talked a lot
abt baptism
in this series
it’s bcs I have.
But only bcs Paul
talks abt it so much
in this letter.
In Colossians 3:1
Colossians 3:1 (NASB 2020)
Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
When we’re
united w/ Christ
in baptism—
we’re raised
together w/ Him.
His death becomes
our death;
His resurrection becomes
our resurrection.
We’re connected
to Christ Jesus
in a mysterious
but very real way.
& where Jesus is
we who are
united to Him
are there also.
Christ is seated
at the right hand
of the throne
of God the Father
in Heaven.
& we who are
connected to Him
are there also.
Since that’s true
we need to keep
seeking the things
that are above.
Seeking first
Christ’s kingdom
& His righteousness.
Seeking to know
& do His will
& become like Him
thru the grace
He gives us.
At all times
& in all ways
we who have
been raised w/ Christ
need to seek
the things abv.
Paul doubles dwn
on this
in Colossians 3:2-3.
He says:
Colossians 3:2–3 (EOB: NT)
Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth.
For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
One way we seek
the things abv
is by setting our minds
on the things abv.
Though we are
on this earth
we no longer
belong to
this world.
We belong
to Christ.
We’ve died
w/ Christ
to the things
of this world.
Our life is abv
in heaven—
hidden w/ Christ
in God.
We belong to
a heavenly kingdom.
So we’ve gotta
keep 100%
of our focus on
that kingdom.
We cannot
allow ourselves
to get caught up
in the concerns
& kingdoms
of this world.
We’ve gotta get
our minds off of
the temporary
earthly things.
& keep our minds
on the eternal
& heavenly things.
& when this world
tries to distract us
we’ve gotta
keep coming back
to this reality:
This world
is not our home.
Our citizenship
Our true home
Our life
is in heaven.
But that’s not all.
Paul goes
in Colossians 3:4.
to remind us
our hope
is also in heaven.
Paul says:
Colossians 3:4 (NASB 2020)
When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
Here Paul echoes
the truth he
already taught us
back in
Colossians 1:24-27.
He said:
Colossians 1:24–27 (NASB 2020)
Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am supplementing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions in behalf of His body, which is the church.
I was made a minister of this church according to the commission from God granted to me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God,
that is, the mystery which had been hidden from the past ages and generations, but now has been revealed to His saints,
to whom God willed to make known what the wealth of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles is, the mystery that is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
The hope of glory
for those who are
united w/ Christ
in the Church.
The hope of
becoming by grace
what Jesus is
by nature.
That’s the
main message
of the Word of God.
That’s the
main message
of the gospel—
Christ in us
& us in Christ
recreated in
God’s image
to share in
God’s glory.
John puts it
this way
in 1 John 3:2-3
1 John 3:2–3 (NASB 2020)
Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.
And everyone who has this hope set on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
You want something
that’s worth living for—
something worth
giving up everything
in this world
to obtain?
This is it!
This is the pearl
of great price.
This is the
treasure that’s
beyond compare.
This is what we have
to look fwd to
when our life
is hidden w/ Christ
in God.
One day we will
see Christ as He is
in His glory.
We will see
His face.
& we will
be like Him
as we share
in His glory!
That’s the reality
for all who get
attached to
& stay attached to
Christ’s body—
which is the Church.
That’s the reality
for all who are
being remade
in God’s image.
When we’re in Christ
we’ve died
w/ Him.
& we’re raised
w/ Him to sit
w/ Him
in heavenly places.
Our life is not
on this earth.
Our life is
at the right hand
of God in heaven.
So to be
renewed in God’s Image
We’v gotta
Seek & set our minds on
heavenly things.
[Transition: & we also
need to do
a 2nd thing.
We need to…]
Put to death and put away earthly things
At the beginning
of Colossians 3:5.
Paul says:
Colossians 3:5 (NASB 2020)
Therefore, treat the parts of your earthly body as dead...
Bcs we have
died w/ Christ
to this world
& no longer belong
to this world;
Bcs we’re raised
w/ Christ & now
have our lives
hidden w/ Him
in heaven.
We’ve gotta live
in that reality......now.
We’ve gotta
get everything
that’s earthly
out of our lives.
We’ve gotta
put it all to death.
We’ve gotta treat
our earthly body parts
as though they are
once & for all
dead to the sinful
ways in which we
once walked
when we still
belonged to this world.
Paul teaches
this same truth in
Romans 6:1-10.
He says:
Romans 6:1–10 (NASB 2020)
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?
Far from it! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?
Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?
Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life.
For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,
knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;
for the one who has died is freed from sin.
Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,
knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him.
For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all time; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.
Notice Paul
repeats
the same facts
He stated
in Colossians.
We died to sin
when we were
baptized into
Christ’s death.
Thru the glory
of the Father
We’ve been buried
& raised w/ Christ
thru baptism into death
so we can walk in
newness of life.
We were crucified w/ Christ
so that our old self
the body of sin
might be stripped off—
done away w/—
So we wld no longer
be slaves to sin.
The one who
dies w/ Christ
is free frm sin.
& the death Christ died
He died to sin
once & for all.
Those are the facts.
& just like
he does
in Colossians 3
Paul goes on
in Romans 6:11-14
to tell us
how to live
in light of
those facts.
He says:
Romans 6:11–14 (NASB 2020)
So you too, consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Therefore sin is not to reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts,
and do not go on presenting the parts of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those who are alive from the dead, and your body’s parts as instruments of righteousness for God.
For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under the Law but under grace.
In light of
what we are in Christ—
then like Christ—
we’ve gotta keep on
considering ourselves—
to be dead to sin
once & for all
& alive to God
in Christ.
This is the same thing
Paul said
in Colossians.
Treat the parts
of your earthly body
as dead to sin.
Consider yourselves
to be
dead to sin
once & for all
& to be
alive to God.
Don’t let sin reign
in your body
by obeying it’s lusts.
Don’t present
the members
of your body—
Don’t use any part
of your body
to engage in
any kind
of unrighteousness.
Instead—
Present every part
of yourself
to God.
& use every part of
your body
as instruments
of righteousness.
This is the key
to living a life
where we’re being
Renewed in
God’s Image.
We’ve gotta keep
considering the facts.
We’ve gotta blv
God really did
work a miracle in us
& change us when
we were
baptized into Christ.
We’ve gotta
keep remembering
what happened
in our baptism.
& we’ve gotta
keep living it out.
As Paul says in
Colossians 3:9-10
When we were
baptized into Christ
Colossians 3:9–10 (NASB 2020)
…[we] stripped off the old self with its evil practices,
and have put on the new self, which is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created it
The imagery
is of us changing
clothes.
When we’re baptized
The old self
w/ its evil practices
is stripped off—
like a dirty
disgusting
soiled & smelly
old robe.
We strip that off
& get rid of it.
& like a crisp & clean
glowing & glorious
white robe
of righteousness
we put on
the New Self.
& as we stay attached
to Christ’s body
in the Church
& keep our
our new robe
frm becoming dirty
w/ earthly things
we become more
& more worthy
of that robe
as we become
more & more
Christlike.
As we’re
being transformed
frm one degree
of glory to another
by God’s grace.
God’s goal
is that we all
be perfected
in Christ.
To reach that goal
we’ve gotta
Put off & put away
earthly things.
Paul goes on
in Colossians 3:5
to tell us
the earthly things
we’ve gotta put off
& put away.
He says:
Colossians 3:5 (NASB 2020)
Therefore, treat the parts of your earthly body as dead to sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.
As in our day
The sins Paul
lists here
were rampant
in the society
in Colossae.
The first 4 sins
cover every form
of sexual sin.
Starting w/
Sexual immorality.
The Greek word is
πορνιεα
This includes sins
like Adultery
or engaging in
sexual relationships
w/ someone
other than
your spouse.
Fornication
or having any sexual relationship
bfr marriage
btwn one man
& one woman.
&, as you can
probably hear
frm the Greek word......
πορνιεα
also includes the
most rampant form
of sexual immorality
in our society today:
Which is
Pornography
in its various forms.
The next three words:
impurity
passion
& evil desire
are progressively
worse sexual sins.
& includes
every unnatural
sexual activity:
Masturbation
All sexual acts
btwn men & women
that cannot potentially result
in the procreation.
Homosexual acts
I think you get
the idea.
Those sexual sins
& others like them
have no place
in the life
of Christians.
Paul also
mentions the sin
of Greed.
& then Paul says:
Greed is idolatry.
When we’re greedy
we make
whatever we’re
greedy for
into an idol.
We give that thing
the place
that belongs to God.
So sexual sins
& greed are not
compatible
w/ a new life
in Christ.
& we’ve gotta
consider ourselves
dead to those things.
We’ve gotta aggressively
deal w/ all of
those earthly things.
& do whatever
it takes to get them
out of our lives.
Paul goes on
in Colossians 3:8-9
to list other sins
we’ve gotta
get rid of.
He says:
Colossians 3:8–9 (NASB 2020)
But now you also, rid yourselves of all of them: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene speech from your mouth.
Do not lie to one another...
The six sins
Paul mentions here
are sins a lot of
professing Christians
seem not to take
too seriously.
Anger
& wrath or rage
go together.
Anger is
what we feel
twd others
on the inside.
Rage is anger
that makes it
to the surface
& explodes out of us
As we lash out
angry outbursts.
Now
there are things
that shld
arose anger in us.
We shld be angry—
as God is—
w/ the sinfulness
we see in the world
all around us.
Injustice.
Immorality.
Inhumane acts.
Lawlessness.
False teaching
that drags ppl
into eternal torment
those things
shld make us angry.
Those things shld
arose a righteous anger
in all of us.
But let’s be honest
is that the type
of anger we have
when we explode
on someone
who does something
we don’t like.
That person
who cuts you off
in traffic
& you lean
on the horn
w/ one hand
show them
you think they’re
number one
w/ the other hand
& tell them
how stupid
you think they are.
Is that
righteous anger?
Or what abt
When your server
is not the best
at a restaurant
Or your food
is wrong
Or ppl bother you
while you’re
working on something
& you lash out
at them.
Is that
righteous anger?
We’ve all heard
or made excuses
for our anger
& outbursts.
“I’m having a bad day.”
“I didn’t get
“enough sleep.”
“I’ve always been
“this way.”
It’s time we
who have been
born again
stop making excuses
for sinful behavior.
God will not
accept our excuses.
We’ve gotta learn
to live differently.
What you
or I have
always been like
is irrelevant
once we’re united
w/ Christ.
In Christ
We’ve gotta put
all of those excuse
& all of that
bad behavior
away frm us.
Paul says
anger & rage
have no place
in the life
of a Christian.
& neither do
the next three
sins Paul mentions.
These also
go together.
The 1st one
is malice.
& like anger
malice is something
that starts inside
of us.
Malice is bad feelings
twd someone else.
& a desire to see
evil or harm
come to them.
When
malicious feelings
twd others
come to the surface
they can come out of us
as slander.
We say things
to others
to hurt the reputation
of the person
we’re slandering.
& malice can also
come out as
obscene talk.
& this is not
necessarily
cuss words—
though it cld
include that.
Cussing does not
look good
on Christians.
Obscene talk
is any kind of
abusive speech.
Cutting words
that are meant to hurt
or tear dwn
someone else.
None of those
have any business
in the lives of
members of the Church.
& we’ve gotta
rid ourselves
of all those behaviors
Paul mentions
one final sin
He says
do not lie
to one another.
When ppl lie
they’re not acting
like our Father in Heaven
they’re acting like
their father the devil.
We who are connected
to the One who is truth
shld never lie
to one another.
Not white lies
or red lies
or blue lies
or green lies
Nor Small lies
or big lies
or anywhere
in between lies.
I felt like the new
Doctor as
I wrote that.
Any way
the point is:
We’ve gotta
rid ourselves
of all forms lying.
Those 11 sins
& any other sins
like the ones
Paul mentions here
have no place
in the New Life
we’re called to live
in Christ.
Notice the past
tense phrases
in Colossians 3:7.
Paul says:
Colossians 3:7 (NASB 2020)
..in [these sins] you also once walked, when you were living in them.
We once walked
in sins
and we were
living in sins.
But if we’ve been
baptized into Christ—
the person who
committed those sins
is dead
buried
& stripped off.
& we now
has gotta be
aggressively
dealt w/.
Put to death
& put off.
We’ve gotta live
like we’re
dead to sin.
& notice
In Colossians 3:6.
Paul gives us
the reason
we’ve gotta
put to death
& put off the sins
we once walked in.
He says:
Colossians 3:6 (NASB 2020)
For it is because of these things that the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience...
If we’re not living
like we’re dead to sin
If we’re not
ridding ourselves
of the old person
we were outside
of Christ
then no matter
what we profess
to know abt Jesus
we will face
God’s wrath
on the day of judgment.
That is seriously scary stuff.
It’s especially scary
considering
so much of what passes
for Christian teaching
tells us we can relax.
Don’t worry abt it.
Jesus did it all.
God will never judge us
for our sins
if we’re in Christ.
He might give us
a slap on the wrist
& take away our toys
but he’ll never
condemn us
if we’re in Christ.
Lying false teachers
who say such things
speak empty words
bcs they do not know
the Scriptures
or the power of God.
Remember
Paul wrote
this letter to ppl
who are in Christ.
But he warns them.
They’d better make sure
they live like
their dead to sin.
Bcs if they don’t
they will face God’s wrath
that will come on
all the sons
of disobedience
on judgment day.
Paul expands on this
sobering teaching
in Ephesians 5:1-10.
He says:
Ephesians 5:1–10 (NASB 2020)
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children;
and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.
But sexual immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be mentioned among you, as is proper among saints;
and there must be no filthiness or foolish talk, or vulgar joking, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.
For this you know with certainty, that no sexually immoral or impure or greedy person, which amounts to an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
See that no one deceives you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
Therefore do not become partners with them;
for you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light
(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth),
as you try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.
To ppl whom Paul calls
Beloved children of God
He also says:
Don’t let anyone
deceive you abt this:
Ppl who commit
these sins
will have no
inheritance in
God’s kingdom.
Ppl who become
partners w/
the sons of disobedience
will face the wrath
of God one day.
& professing
to be a Christian
does not exempt us
frm that.
If we do not
count ourselves
dead to sin
& alive to God;
& if we do not
consistently
live a life
that reflects those facts
We will not
inherit God’s kingdom.
We will receive
God’s wrath.
I don’t want that.
You don’t want that.
To avoid that
we’ve gotta
keep
CONCLUSION
As we close
how do we
how to avoid
the wrath of God.
We’ve gotta be
Renewed in God’s Image.
We’ve gotta
learn to live
every moment
seeking and setting
our minds on
Heavenly things.
Bcs that’s where
our life & our hope
is hidden w/ Christ
in God.
We’ve also gotta
Put to death
& Put off
earthly things.
We’ve gotta live
like it’s impossible
for us to use our bodies
to sin.
We’ve gotta
choose to never
use our bodies
for unrighteouness.
But instead
use them for
righteousness.
If we’ll do those things
then we will be
transformed by God’s grace
frm one degree of glory
to another
until we’re finally
Renewed in God’s Image.
PRAYER
Let’s all stand
for prayer.
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