Turn Your Eyes

Grace to you and peace from God the Father and Lord Jesus Christ. It is a pleasure to be here sharing the word of God with the saints of Durbin Memorial Baptist Church.

I think we can all recognize that we are entering a perpetually busy season of the year. Personally, I’ve already participated in four thanksgiving gatherings of some kind and have more on the plate coming this week. We had a wonderful time this morning with the breakfast and I want to thank everyone for coming and those who got here early to put everything together. But for a lot of us, the busy-ness is really just beginning. Over the coming weeks work schedules will be filling up to accomplish the end of year duties. Family gatherings will be every other weekend. There is shopping to be done. Turkeys to be basted and decorations to pull out from the darkest corner of the basement. On top of that, your schedule may include travel and through the end of the year we are undoubtedly in the perennial heaviest demand for all forms of travel. So you have to plan extra for delays whether you're taking a cruise, hitting the interstate, or fighting your way through the airport. This season that is known culturally for being a time of celebration is in practicality a time of great stress, rush, and anxiety.

If you came here this morning feeling some or all of those emotions and pressures, just know that you are not alone. I’m right there with you. But here’s the bad news. I can’t give you the specific blueprint to deal with these challenges and have “stress-free” season. I can’t tell you exactly how you should respond to your crazy uncle Bill Jack when he wants to bring up political conspiracy theories every time there’s a brief moment of silence at the dinner table. Maybe you’re crazy uncle Bill Jack! I can’t really help that either!

However, what we are going to see this morning is the Power of God to Propel us through Problems and Prosperity.

This morning we are going to see the heavenly perspective that God gives to all those who know and love Him. It does not remove us from the challenges of this world. Those problems and stresses still occur in the peripheral, but for the one who has been reconciled to God, the focus is elsewhere. The challenges are very real and do exists, but they pale in comparison to focus of glory.

If you would, turn in your Bibles to Colossians chapter 3. We have been walking through the book of Colossians for sometime now. This is actually the 11th week we have been walking through this book. This series has been entitled “Living the Christian Life” because the book of Colossians is very practical and could in many ways be seen as a Christian manual for daily living.

As a bit of a refresher, the first chapter of Colossians is deeply theological. It gives us an image of the greatness of Jesus Christ. Jesus is so much more than a man and a great teacher. He is the co-eternal second person of the Trinity. The truth of Jesus Christ is glorious and worthy to be not only proclaimed but also strive to protect against thone who would seek to blemish the glory of Christ. The second chapter of Colossians continues this theology and shows us how Christ is the Savior who took the debt owed by sinners like you and me, and He paid its cost on the cross. The faith in Christ we share in His victory. At that point in chapter 2 the text changes to a polemic against false, manmade religion. These are systems of belief dependent on personal performance and ability like humanistic philosophy, legalism, mysticism, and asceticism. Such things have the appearance of wisdom but are really just self serving.

Today we are picking up in chapter three and this section bridges the Gap from theology to practicality. We will see the glorious hope that fuels the Christian life.

Begin reading with me in Colossians 3:1.

Colossians 3:1 ESV

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

The first thing that we should notice in this verse is the very first word “if”. If you want to take notes, I call this “The Big IF”. It May sound like hyperbole or an exaggeration but everything we are going to talk about for this morning really depends upon this little, two-letter conjunction.

You see this little two-letter word indicates to us a binary result. This is the great delineator. Everyone reading this text has an evaluation and decision to make at this very point. It's a in or out. A yes or no. The subsequent outcomes depend upon your status in regards to the initial condition.

Paul rights “if” you have been raised with Christ. The question we must ask ourselves at this moment is, “Have I?” Have I been raised with Christ? This sounds like a strange question to everyday person. What could it possibly mean to be raised With Christ? Well, I will explain that in a moment, but I do hope that I have your attention because we have to note the importance of your response to that question! If you have not been raised with Christ, then the life vision, the seal, and the hope that we will see as we continue through the text are not for you. If you have not been raised with Christ, you have no claim on the peace He provides. If you have not been raised with Christ, you have no claim to His Victory. You see, this is a very BIG IF.

And let me just say, I know that in our culture this can be an offensive thing to say. In a world in which we all believe we should receive everything, it can be offensive to say that something is not for you. But while you may be offended in the moment, how unloving would it be for me to tell you that something is yours when I know that it isn’t! How sinister would it be for me to knowing sell you fools gold while telling you its priceless jewelry.

When I was a youth pastor we once had a Christmas party in which I got all of the students some really ridiculous gifts. I went to the Salvation Army and selected the most random knickknacks I could find and wrapped them up for the kids to have a laugh at the insane figurines and prizes. Most of the kids laughed at their trinkets. But I’ll never forget what happened with one of the youth. He started unwrapping the gift and as he started to see the box underneath the paper, his eyes widened. He excitedly ripped through the rest of the paper. He held the unwrapped box into the air and shouted, “IT’S AN IPHONE!” He tore open the box and inside was nothing more than a happy meal toy. You see, when I put together the gifts I thought itd be funny. I didn’t think that anyone would seriously think that I was able to afford to get them an iphone for a youth group Christmas party. I thought we’d all have a laugh. And eventually we did. But I’ll never forget that look of disappointment on that kids face when he realized that what he thought he had and what he really got were two very different things.

On that day I learned not to play with the students emotions like that anymore. Even still, we were eventually able to laugh at it. But if you are given a false hope from some pastor, book, faith leader, philosophy, or seminar, there will be no laughing when the results have surfaced. In fact, false hope only leads to weeping and gnashing. The reality we are faced with in this fallen world is that we are surrounded by charlatans who will sell you a bill of goods. I cannot do that. You matter too much to be lied to. The reality we are confronted with in just the first, little, two-letter word of our text this morning is that there are some who have been raised with Christ and some who have not.

Now that we understand the binary premise of this verse, we have to answer two important questions.

First, how does someone end up on the positive side of this condition, and secondly, what does it actually mean to be raised with Christ?

We can find the answer to both of these questions in the book of Romans. First, HOW is one raised with Christ? To answer this, I would point you to Romans 5

Romans 5:1–2 ESV

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

When we talk about being raised in Christ, we are talking about being saved by Christ through faith in Him. Through faith in Jesus Christ we have been graced with right standing before God. Through faith in Christ we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

When we talk about faith in Christ, we are talking about knowing that Jesus is the Son of God who died to pay the debt owed for the sins of all who believe in Him. It is assenting to following His commands as Lord of your life. And trusting His goodness, person, and ability to save. Faith in Christ is not an isolated, fleeting decision, but receiving and resting on Him alone for salvation.

You are raised with Christ when you have faith in Him. But this still does not explain what it actually means to be raised with Him. We can find the explanation for what it means to be raised with Christ also in the book of Romans, this time in chapter 6.

Romans 6:4 ESV

We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

Romans 6:4 is a beautiful verse with much to unpack, but for our purposes this morning, we the practical application of what it means to be raised with Christ. When this verse says “Baptized into death” it is talking about being identified with Christ through faith in His life, death, and resurrection. Water baptism is a picture of this supernatural reality and a public declaration that symbolizes what God has done in our lives through faith in Christ. Through faith in Christ, we have died to the old life and schemes of the fallen world and have been commissioned and empowered to walk in newness of life! When you have faith in Christ you are given a sanctified vision for life, your position is sealed, you are given true unshakable hope. To those who have been raised with Christ, you are graced with the ability to walk in newness of life. And what a grace that is. There truly is new life in Christ Jesus! One theologian said, Christ’s death FOR sin becomes our death TO sin.” And that death, we are enabled to walk in newness of life.

Go back to Colossians 3:1

Colossians 3:1 ESV

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

I hope that at this point the binary reality we are confronted with in the first two letters of verse one has been clearly explained. This is a very BIG IF. And you must know which side you are on of the delineator. But before we go any further, I want to explain one more aspect of this IF. For those who have been raised with Christ through faith, that is knowledge, assent, and trust in Him, this “if” is not JUST a condition, it is a promise. If you know Jesus Christ as your savior, the rest of what we are going to talk about this morning isn’t theory, its a promise! For those saved by grace through faith, you can read this verse as saying “BECAUSE, then, you have been raised with Christ” everything else that follows is yours! This is the reality for all those who have been raised with Christ! They have been given a vision, a seal, and a hope. Let us look to those wondrous gifts.

Colossians 3:1–2 ESV

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

Those who have been raised with Christ are given the vision of glory. Those who have been raised with Christ are enabled to turn their eyes towards Him.

Have you ever heard the phrase, “That guy can’t see the forest through the trees?” It means that someone can’t see the entirety of their situation because they are focussed on a particular issue or detail. When we are dead in sin our focus is limited and on the wrong things. We get caught up in the minutia. In verses 1 and 2, those who have been raised with Christ are instructed to view their circumstances in light of the glory of Christ! This is looking at life with a heavenly vision or perspective.

Now what does this mean in practicality? It sounds really nice to have heavenly vision, but how does that play out in the life of one who has been raised with Christ?

First, it does not mean that you wont have challenges in your everyday life. The rent is still going to be due. The person in your office is still going to be telling stories about you at the water cooler. There is not a pastor out here who can guarantee you that you will not go through uncomfortable and challenging times. And if they do, then they are just one of the charlatans I alluded to earlier.

So having a heavenly vision doesn’t change our surroundings, it changes our focus. With a heavenly vision, the ChristIan is enable to gaze upon the glory of Christ! They still face challenges in life, but the challenges are small in light of the glory of Christ! That is why Christians should be the most reasonable people on the planet. Things may not go our way in the moment, but this place is not our home and glory is waiting! When whether we are hitting a bump in the road or at the top of the mountain of life, Christians are enabled to gaze upon The glory of Christ! And what a view it is!

The Christian GETS to look to Christ. We get to see His example. We get to follow His command. We seek the things that are above, the things that honor Him. We don’t have to go back to the bitter well of sinful living, because we’ve been given a vision of something so much better and that something is Jesus Christ. Look at what it says in the last part of verse 1. “seek the things that are above, WHERE CHRIST IS, SEATED at the right hand of God.”

The one who has been raise with Christ understand Him to be Savior and Lord. Because He is Lord, we are to seek the things that are honorable to Him. And we can be rest assured that He is Savior because He is seated at the right hand of God! Christ lived and died to pay the price of sin for all those who believe in Him. He arose from grave and ascended into heaven by the glory of the Father to assure us of our own eternal life and resurrection! And you know where Jesus is right now? Jesus is in the highest position of honor, majesty, and authority! This should give those with heavenly perspective such peace and joy! Do you realize the significance of Jesus being seated at the right hand of the Father? Do you realize what this means for those of us who have been raised with Him?

Spurgeon explained the implications of this for believers. He wrote, “Let us rise and rest with Him. He is sitting on a throne. Observe His majesty, delight in His power, and trust in His dominion. He is sitting at the right hand of God in the place of honor and favor. This is a proof that we are beloved and favored of God, for our Representative has the choicest place, at God’s right hand. Let your hearts ascend and enjoy that love and favor with Him. Take wing, my thoughts, and fly away to Jesus.”

When we have been raised with Christ by faith in Him, we have been given heavenly vision, to gaze upon His glory despite the murky mess around us. That is the intent behind verse 2. Because of Jesus Christ, we are enabled and empowered to set our minds, that is hone our affections, prioritize heavenly things behind our earthly struggles. This more than occasionally peaking at heavenly things. This is telling the Christian to hone their thinking prowess, their rationality, their whole purpose and action of mind on the things that are glorifying to the Lord.

We didn’t sing it this morning, but this idea is captured in the song turn your eyes upon Jesus.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace.

If you have been raised with Christ, you have been given a heavenly vision. Gaze upon His glory.

Look with me at verse 3.

Colossians 3:3 ESV

For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

We have already seen that those who have been raised with Christ are given a heavenly vision. Here we see that their position with Christ is SEALED.

Before we get to the seal, Paul begins this verse with a glance backward. This is a reminder that believers have died. We have died to sin. We have died to the powers and lies of this world. We have died to trying to make it by our own power. We have died.

Then we have a glance to the now. Paul writes, You HAVE died, and your life IS, written in the sense of IS RIGHT NOW. We glance to the past and are now in the present.

The present reality for all believers is that their lives are right now at this moment hidden in Christ Jesus. This term hidden means that something is completely concealed or unseen.

This weekend I had the privilege of going to a child’s birthday party at a place called foam warriors. Everyone is given a nerf gun and you are put on teams to face off. One of the games we played was freeze tag. If you got hit by an opposing player you had to stand still and have another player from your team tag your hand before you could unfreeze and begin again shooting players on the other team. These are fierce competitions that require the highest strategy. In one of the battles in particular I ended up forming an alliance with a valiant warrior that worked amazingly. I’m a pretty big guy and my compadre was maybe 6 years old. So he got behind me and was completely hidden. Every time I took a shot he was right there to tag me back in the game! Our strategy was working perfectly until we got bumrushed by six players and they took both of us out before we could tag the other back in. … I’ll never forget you young warrior.

I was able to hide him for a while, but I wasn’t big enough. When you have been raised with Christ and your life is hidden in Him, He will always be big enough! There is nothing that can take away your position before God when your life is hidden in Christ!

If you have been raised with Christ then understand that such a reality is sealed today, tomorrow, and forever. No one can pluck you from the Father’s hand. You are completely and irrevocably hidden with Christ in God. But there is more!

Colossians 3:4 ESV

When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

We have seen that those who have been raised with Christ have been given heavenly vision, our lives are sealed with Christ, and now we are shown the hope that propels us through all circumstances.

Notice the timeline progression through verses 3 and 4. You HAVE died, your life IS hidden, and now in verse 4 we read that WHEN Christ comes. One commentary notes, “The believer’s identification with Christ brings not only a past break with sin and present security, it also means a glorious future.”

Christians are given the perspective to handle the challenges of today with the hope of the eternal glory that is to come. Listen, there are quite a few different views of the End Times all of which being supported by theologians that are much smarter than me. But one thing that every eschatological view agrees on is that Jesus is coming again! And what a day that will be! If you have been raised with Christ, then you can and should have a pep in your step because though you are going through a challenge today, glory is coming.

The heavenly vision, the seal, and the hope given to believers are a great grace of God and more than we could ever hope to ask for as we go through life in this fallen world.

Let it be known:

If you have been raised with Christ, you can still have peace during a contentious conversation at Thanksgiving Dinner.

If you have been raised with Christ, you can accomplish your work without lying and scheming to get a leg up on the competition.

If you have been raised with Christ, you can have hope when you are dealing with the sting of loss.

But also let this be known: While these benefits are personal and great gifts from the God who loved you enough to save you, to raise you with Christ, this story is still not about you.

We walked through four verses this morning. Four times in four verses, Paul mentions Christ. Let it be known that Jesus Christ is central and supreme. Believers, this life isn’t about you. The lives that we have been given are to be lived for HIS glory. Our salvation Is for HIS glory. Our VISION is to HIS glory. We are sealed by HIS glory. Our hope is in HIS glory.

If you have been raised with Christ it is because you have been identified with HIM. Our lived our transformed by HIM. To Him be the glory.

THREE CIRCLES GRAPHIC

START WITH CHRIST IS KING.