Power in the Pulpit | Colossians 3:1–17

Intro: I want you to imagine a pretend scenario with me real quick. Pretend that I drove a really really unreliable car. Pretend it was always breaking down and leaving me on the side of the road. I couldn’t drive it more than a few miles at a time without it causing me trouble. So all of you being the generous and compassionate young people you are got together and decided that you were going to all work hard to save money and raise money to help buy me a new car. And that’s what you do. After a few months of saving and and working hard to save money, you all buy me a brand spanking new car. It has zero miles on me. It’s reliable and much nicer than what I have before. But say that the next week when we all got to church, I had driven the old car. You would probably wonder why I was choosing to drive that when I had been gifted something much better. This is similar to what Paul challenged the Colossians to do in tonight’s passage. He challenged them to leave behind the things of the world, because the things of heaven had been made available to them. The main idea of tonight’s message is that if we have been changed by Christ’s death and resurrection we need to live as changed people. In this section we we will see a call to live for the things above, what a believer should not do and what a believer should do. As always, if you could stand as we honor the reading of God’s Word.

The Call to Live for the things above Verses 1-4

Exposition:Paul writes in verse 1 Col 3:1-4 “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. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” Scripture tells us that when Christ rose from the grave, he walked the earth for 40 days. After that he ascended to heaven with the promise that he would one day return. Until then, he is sitting at the right had of the Father as our mediator. Paul is then saying that if we have been risen with Christ. When we accept Christ, the old self dies and the new self is raised to walk with Christ. So the old self is buried with Christ and the new self is risen with Christ. Paul is saying that if we have truly been risen with Christ, we should then seek the things of where Christ is, which we know to be heaven. When Paul says that we have died, and out lives are hidden with Christ, this connotes an actions that has already happened and is permanent. The person that was defined by and identified with the ways of the earth is permanently gone. Because of this new life we have in Christ, when Christ returns, we will have the glorified body that Christ has. We will leave behind everything that plagues us in this world.

Application: Paul goes on to explain some specific examples of how this conduct should and shouldn’t look. But let me put it this way and give you a way to view this. How many of your actions would you feel comfortable with if Jesus were standing right next to you? How much of your daily conduct could you picture being present in heaven? Are the things you are doing things that you could picture yourself still doing when Christ returns and does away with sin forever? We all act like we know God sees everything we do, but we don’t live like that? So as we go through this text, let’s examine our lives on whether or not we think our conduct looks more like what we find our earth or in heaven.

Transition: We see Paul telling the Colossians to seek the things above and not the things of earth. He then explains what he means by the things of earth. What things we should not do.

Exposition: Paul writes in verse 5 Col. 3:5 “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” Paul here mentions five vices. He starts with sexual immorality. The word for Sexual Immorality is “porneia.” the word is a blanket statement for all sexual acts that are morally objectionable. When we see this term in the New Testament, it means any form of sexual activity that occurrs outside the confines of marriage between a man and a woman. Paul makes this very clear in his first letter to the Corinthians. He ends chapter 6 by telling them to flee from sexual immorality and to honor God with their bodies. He starts chapter 7 by then saying he thinks that it is a good thing if people avoid having sexual relationships. He writes later this is because the single person can put their focus clearly on God. But he says in verse 2, 1 Cor 7:2 “But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.” This makes it very clear. Sex is only to happen in the confines of marriage and marriage exists between a man and a woman. Any sexual activity outside these confines that God has given us is a sin.

Application: The game that gets played with Christians, especially teenagers is, “How far is too far.” Christian teenagers have been pretending to ask that question out of a desire to be obedient for years. Paul actually gives a litmus test to address that question with the next three terms he uses.

Exposition: The next term he uses is purity. This term is used to describe conduct as dirty, particularly pertaining to sexual sin. But this pertains to all sins, not just sexual sin. Have you ever used the expression, “well, that’s not that bad.” Or, “There are worse things I could be doing.” Is that our standard? Is “not that bad,” really pure? We all know the answer to that is no. The standard is not the world. The standard is God. He then goes on to say passion. This typically refers to lustful passion. This would play out as one being driven by sexual desires. He then goes on to say evil desires. This is an inordinate self-craving that displaces desire for God.

Application:You see, sexual immorality as we think about it is often a it takes two to tango type thing. In a lot of ways it is the same for purity. When we think about these actions, we think of them taking place with another person. But desire and passion can be something that we and God are the only people that know anything about it. It can involve you and your electronic devices and what is being viewed. It can be just the way you think about other people. Do you think of them using vocabulary that values them as a person or do you describe them in the same way you would an object. Maybe impurity, allowing your mind to wonder or looking at things you shouldn’t or talking about things you shouldn’t leads you to passion and desires that are sinful.

Exposition: Paul then lists covetousness, which he says is idolatry. Are you ever not satisfied with what God has given you. Do you ever want something somebody else has so bad. Maybe it’s a possession, maybe it’s their talents or looks. Whatever it is it is idolatry because you are saying that what God has given you is not enough. What you actually need is what they have. You see how this is idolatry, right? You see why it is dangerous to tell God that He isn’t good enough.

Exposition: Paul then goes on to say in verse 6 Col 3:6 “On account of these the wrath of God is coming.” You see sin is a big deal. We cannot act like it is not. Sin is what put Jesus on the cross and it is why those who do not accept the forgiveness of sins available through Christ will endure God’s wrath. Sin is a big deal. And we have all been guilty of sin. Paul goes on in verses 7 and 8 to turn his attention to a different set of vices we must avoid. These have to do with how we interact with one another. He writes Col 3:7-8 “In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.” He starts by saying that these vices we all use to walk in. But now we must put them away. The language “put away” has to do with taking off clothes. Think of it like taking off dirty clothes after working in the yard all day. He says we should avoid anger and wrath which is like anger on steroids. A believer should not be defined by anger. A believer should not always be angry because how often do we do things that are Godly when we act in anger. He says to avoid malice. Malice is defined as the perverting of virtue and moral principles from their purposes for evil ends.

Application:How often do we do things we know we shouldn’t. How often do we say things to or about others in front of a crowd because we know it’s going to embarrass that person a little bit. Do you ever want people to laugh at what you say so you make a joke about somebody so people will laugh at their expense? That is not the conduct that a believer in Jesus Christ should have. That is not conduct from heaven.

Exposition: The next two are probably the ones that will make us squirm the most. Paul lists slander as something to put off.

Application: Don’t raise your hands on this, but do any of you ever gossip? Do you ever say things about somebody behind their back that you wouldn’t say to their face? Do you ever tell things you have heard that may or not be true because you like having the information. This is not what a believer should do.

Exposition: Next Paul says obscene talk from your mouth is to be put off. In the Greek the language used that is translated obscene talk is a compound of the adjective translated shameful and the verb translated speak.

Application: This one probably gets a lot of you in here. I know what it’s like to be in an environment where you hear words that you shouldn’t say. I know how easy it can become a part of your vocabulary and how hard it is to get it out. But when we talk like everyone else, are we living for the things above or the things on earth?

Illustration: When COVID hit while I was living in North Carolina and our church was shut down, I recorded children sermons on my ipad and we would post them on the church facebook and youtube pages. One day when I was at work at home depot, a lady that worked there came by and told me she has seen it. Can you imagine what it would have done to my credibility if when I was working there I was known for using language I shouldn’t? What about you? What does your language say about your church or your relationship with Christ?

Exposition: He then goes on to say in verses 9 and 10 Col 3:9-10 “Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.” We need to be honest. We need to tell each other the truth. But we need to be honest with other believers and church members such as parents. There’s no such thing as a little white lie because it is not the conduct of heaven. Paul says this is part of the old practices we need to do away with. He says we need to put off these practices and put on those of God. We do this through knowledge of God. The more we learn about God the more we want to be like him. If we believe that God is good and wants to give us what is best, then we will seek him. Doing good or not doing good is not what makes us right with God. But being made right with God changes who we are. We don’t need to try and hold on to sins of the past because God’s way is better. And this gift of new life. It’s available to everybody. Paul writes in verse 11 Col 3:11 “Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.” Greeks made up the majority of people in the church but they were no better or worse than a Jew who was a part of God’s chosen people. And neither of them were better than a barbarian or scythian who people in the Roman empire tended to look down upon. Paul says Christ is all. He is what matters. Nothing about us matters except that we are a part of the family of God through Christ. And this is true of all who accept him. There is no ranking based on race, class, talent, popularity or any other division we create. There is only Christ.

Transition: After addressing the things of the world, Paul goes on to speak of the things above. He speaks of what the conduct of a believer should be.

Exposition: Paul starts in verse 13 listed out the things we should be marked by. He writes Col 3:12 “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,” Is this how people know us? Do people see us as being compassionate and kind. When we speak to others is this how we sound. When we talk to those that are bullied or have a hard time finding a place, do we speak with compassion and kindness or malice? Humility is having a disposition of valuing oneself appropriately. Do people see you as somebody they can relate to or somebody that feels like he or she is better than everybody else. Do you ever think that certain things you have such as shoes or clothes give you status, or do you realize that your parents buying you shoes doesn’t actually make you cool.

Application: Can we just talk about that for a second. If any of you who do not have jobs think that having a certain kind of shoe makes you cool or makes what you have better than somebody else you are so disillusioned. Somebody bought those for you. That does not make you better than anybody else. If you ever make fun of somebody else’s stuff not only are you not acting as Paul is telling us to act, but you are not really bragging on something you did.

Exposition: Meekness is defined as acting in a manner that is mild and even tempered. As I said earlier, a Christian should not be defined by anger. We should be able to be relaxed because we know who is in control. Paul then lists patience. This word also means to bear with one another. Are we patient in the short term? But also, are we patient in the long-term. Are we able to walk with somebody when they are struggling and making poor decisions. Are we able to be with somebody when they are having a hard time getting over a situation. Paul expands on this a little bit in verse 13 when he writes Col 3:13 “bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” We can’t be people that hold grudges. The creator of the world has given us forgiveness for sinning against him. We were deserving of death and Christ made a way for us. We also must be willing to forgive others. We must also be a people of grace and restoration. He goes on to say in verse 14 Col 3:14 “And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” You know what allows us to do these things, love. You know what allows you to be kind and compassionate, love. Do you know what allows you to walk with somebody through hard times in their lives? Love. You know what allows you to forgive somebody, love. It is love that binds all these together because they are all done in love. To put on the things of heaven is to put on love because God has loved us. He then goes on to say in verse 15 Col 3:15 “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.”

Illustration: Do you know the impact stress can have on a human body. It can cause headaches, muscle tension or pain, chest pain, fatigue, upset stomach and sleep problems. Stress does bad things to the human body. It can do bad things to the body of Christ as well. We should live at peace with one another. The peace that comes from trusting in Christ should be a part of the body of Christ. We shouldn’t stir up trouble or cause drama. When people look at God’s Church they should see people that are at peace.

Exposition: We also need to make a regular habit of speaking about the things of God. Paul writes in verse 16 Col 3:16 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” When we speak to one another, we should be teaching one another about things we found while studying God’s word. When we see a brother or sister not acting according to God’s Word, we need to lovingly correct he or she using God’s Word. Singing songs of praise to God should be a part of our routine at Church. But we don’t just need to sing the words. We need to ponder them in our hearts. We need to think about the truths they speak of. Singing praise to God should bring you closer to God and make you thankful for the love God has shown us.

Exposition: Lastly, Our lives should be defined by the name of Jesus and in thankfulness to God The Father.

Application/ Illustration: We watched that video before we started for a reason. If we call ourselves Christians, we are calling ourselves by the name of Christ. But we don’t often think about that in our day to day life. We call ourselves by the name of Christ, but do we conduct ourselves in his name? It comes down to the question we asked earlier, would we do what we do in front of Christ? There are people in your schools who don’t go to church. There are people in your schools who don’t know anything about Jesus except that you claim to follow him. What we do carries a lot of weight. We should honor God in what we do, and we should honor him while giving thanks to God. Why do we give thanks to God? Because he saw our condition. He saw how lost we were. He knew we needed a savior and he sent one into the world. He sent God the Son to die on a cross for our sins. Christ then rose from the grave so we could have the hope of eternal life. We didn’t deserve it, but that’s what he did. Praise God.

Conclusion: I have a question for you tonight. I was a journalism major in college. If I were to get back to my roots of writing new stories, what would a story about you look like? If I were to come observe you at school, if I were to talk to your friends about the way you act and the way you talk. If I asked them, would they say you displayed anger, wrath malice and slander or would they say you displayed holy, beloved, compassionate hearts and humility meekness and patience. What about when nobody is around. If I reported on the search histories on your electronic devices or your TikTok algorithms, would it demonstrate the things that are above or the things that are on earth? If it is the things of earth, why? Maybe you have just allowed yourself to fade away from God. Maybe tonight is a night you can refocus your sights on God. Or, maybe you have never given your life over Christ. It does not matter what you have done, there i forgiveness available in Jesus. There is hope available in him. Are you ready to leave the things of the earth behind for the things of heaven? If so let tonight be the night that happens.