Being New Creations Together

Minecraft

We are new creations in Christ.

Revelation 20:6 ESV

6 Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

C.S. Lewis

1. Avoiding Flesh-Driven Relationships

Not Knowing People According to the Flesh

Not how they look

Not what they have accomplished or what they can do for you.

Colossians 2:16–23 ESV

16 Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. 17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. 18 Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, 19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God. 20 If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— 21 “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” 22 (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? 23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.

Ascetism

Worship of angels - Visions

Regulations - don’t handle, taste, touch

Defining Success based on human wisdom and rules

Fruit stapling

2. Pursuing Missional Relationships

New Creations with New Purpose

Colossians 3:5–11 ESV

5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.

Controlling sin vs killing it

God has given us grace. We have success

2 Corinthians 6:1 ESV

1 Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.

Don’t receive grace in vain by moving back to fleshly ways of relating to one another and ignoring who you now are

Remember who you are

3. Loving God’s Grace Together

2 Corinthians 6:3–13 ESV

3 We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, 4 but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, 5 beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; 6 by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; 7 by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; 8 through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; 9 as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; 10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything. 11 We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians; our heart is wide open. 12 You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. 13 In return (I speak as to children) widen your hearts also.

We have truth, we are known, we live, we rejoice, we bless, we own everything

What you love you see. What you see you enjoy. What you enjoy you become.

Loving endurance. Loving purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Spirit, love

Loving righteousness

Do we love those things or do we love things that are fleshly, make us look good?