The Old and the New
Colossians • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Introduction
Introduction
In just a few short weeks, Lord willing, we will celebrate a NEW year. 2023 will be a memory and 2024 will be a reality.
In October I celebrated my 51st birthday…50 is just a memory.
On October 18th my mom and dad celebrated 70 years of marriage…the 69th year and all those that came before are just a memory.
In just a few days my wife and I will finish up our 1st year as your pastor and we will start a NEW YEAR with you...
We are all the time celebrating NEW things, new birthdays, anniversaries, accomplishments, etc.
In Christianity we also celebrate “NEW” things. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
If you have been born again, we aren’t the same! We aren’t the same people we once were, we have been made new in Christ. This is something that the Apostle Paul really wants the believers at Colossae to get ahold of. Just as it was important for them, it is also important for us!
One of the first things he told them to do, and we too need to follow suit is that we need...
New Thinking (vv. 1-2)
New Thinking (vv. 1-2)
Notice how Paul opens this chapter...
If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
In Chapter 2 of Colossians we learned that our “old man” was crucified with Him, and He has made us alive and forgiven us all of our sins! Remember Colossians 2:13
And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,
As a result of this new life in Christ, we need to ELEVATE our thinking from the old life to the NEW LIFE, from earthly things to HEAVENLY things, from temporary things to ETERNAL things, from trivial things to VITAL things!
It’s interesting that the word “SEEK” in verse 1 literally means “TO KEEP ON SEEKING.” We are to CONTINUALLY PURSUE the things that are above.
When you PURSUE or SEEK something it’s not by accident or coincidence. It’s INTENTIONAL.
What are we to seek? THE THINGS ABOVE, WHERE CHRIST IS!
As Max Anders said:
In contrast to the false teachers who demoted Jesus, Paul reminds us that Jesus is seated in the position of honor, majesty, and authority
Jesus also taught us to elevate our thinking. Remember what He said in Matthew 6:33
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Let’s go back to our text and look at Colossians 3:2
Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
The work “set” is a little different than the word “seek.” Not only were they to continually “PURSUE” the things that were above, but they were to do so EARNESTLY! That’s the concept of “setting your mind” on something. They were to FIX or FOCUS their attention on things above! They were to CENTER their life on things above!
Max Anders put it this way:
The believer is to see everything, including earthly things, against the backdrop of eternity.
Don’t miss that! We need to get rid of the “stinkin’ thinkin’” that is so much a part of this world and implement NEW THINKING…UPWARD thinking, ELEVATED thinking!
Now in vv. 3-4 Paul gives us the REASON we need to elevate our thinking...
You Need New Thinking Because of Who You are in Christ! (vv. 3-4)
You Need New Thinking Because of Who You are in Christ! (vv. 3-4)
Notice Colossians 3:3-4
For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
Remember, we learned in Chapter 2 that we were crucified with Christ and then we were RAISED with Christ. This is the picture of BAPTISM! We are HIDDEN with Christ. We’ve identified with Him in spiritual baptism and we should identify with Him in physical baptism.
By the way we are planning to have a Baptism on New Year’s Eve, so if you are interested in being baptized please let me know ASAP!
Notice v. 4 again…
When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
Paul says that CHRIST IS OUR LIFE!
Our life has been elevated from EARTHLY to HEAVENLY.
Our life has been elevated from belonging to ourselves, to BELONGING TO JESUS!
CHRIST IS OUR LIFE! Can you honestly say that? Would the people who know you best be able to say that?
Or would they say MUSIC is their life, SPORTS is their life, WORK is their life, FISHING is their life, HUNTING is their life, SHOPPING is their life, SOCIAL MEDIA is their life....
Paul put it this way in
For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
For the Christ follower it should be said...
CHRIST IS THEIR LIFE!
CHRIST IS THEIR LIFE!
Once again we quote Max Anders who said...
Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians & Colossians A. The Foundation of Christian Living (vv. 1–4)
For the believer, life isn’t merely activity, details; life isn’t acquisition or accomplishment. Life is Christ. He is the focus of our aspirations, the reason for our existence.
As we turn to verses 5-9 we see another important point...
Because of Who We are in Christ We Must Destroy the Old Life (vv. 5-9)
Because of Who We are in Christ We Must Destroy the Old Life (vv. 5-9)
Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.
But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds,
Paul tells us that in order to focus on the things above, and in order to set our minds on things above there are some things that we need to “put to death” down here…things that are a part of our old life, our earthly nature.
Daryl Ellis said:
This practical result of seeking things above is a call to purity. This means we recognize our bodies as wonderful creations of God and yet vehicles of sinfulness.
We’ve already learned that we “died” with Christ and that refers to our IDENTIFICATION with Him. However, we need to start acting this out! We need to start ACTING like we’ve died to these old things! He lists several things that need to be “put to death.”
Another way to say this is to “PUT OFF.” In the Greek language it refers to DECISIVE ACTION! It’s like throwing away an old, worn out garment. This is similar to what Paul said in Romans 6:6 & Ephesians 4:22
For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be rendered powerless so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin,
that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,
The first word in the list is translated
FORNICATION. It is the Greek word “porneia” and it’s where we get our English word “pornography.” The word refers to any sexual activity that takes place outside of husband and wife. Max Anders puts it this way:
God created sex to be enjoyed by one woman and one man in the confines of marriage. Any sexual activity that does not fit that definition is not to be part of a believer’s life.
We are to rid ourselves of this old garment, we are to take decisive action to ensure that it is in the past, and under the blood of Christ, and move forward living a life of sexual purity.
The second thing he mentions is UNCLEANNESS. This may refer to moral impurity, off-colored language, immoral innuendos, and other things that aren’t Christ-like.
The third word is PASSION, also translated as LUST, or INORDINATE AFFECTIONS. This word is used in Romans 1:26
For this reason God delivered them over to disgraceful passions. Their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones.
The fourth thing he tells the Colossians to rid themselves of is EVIL DESIRE. This is the same word Jesus used in Matthew 5:28
But I tell you, everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
The church has focused a lot, and rightly so, on the sexual sins in this list. We are living in a day and age where it seems that God’s gift of sex is anything but sacred. But PLEASE DON’T MISS THE REST OF THIS LIST. You may not struggle with same sex attraction, you may not struggle with lust…but HOW ARE YOU DOING in the area of GREED?
YEP, the Holy Spirit inspires Paul to mention the “LOVE OF MONEY” in the same breath as he mentions fornication and lustful passions.
Greed is so serious it is called IDOLATRY…it’s really the worship of MORE!
This person is always wanting MORE! About covetousness and idolatry, Kent says:
“Greed is idolatry because such overpowering desire to possess what is not rightly one’s own relegates God to second place.”
Max Anders put it this way:
To make the acquisition of things or the satiation of desires our ambition is to demonstrate that our aim is too low—earthly things rather than things above.
Before Paul continues his list of things that we need to “put to death” or “cast off” like a filthy garment, he adds a little side note in Colossians 3:6
Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience,
He reminds these believers that the sins that he has mentioned should not be characteristic of Children of God, because God’s wrath (God’s holy anger against sin) is going to be revealed against those who live in disobedience!
The same GOD and the same BOOK that says to REPENT of SEXUAL sin is the same God and the same BOOK who says that the LOVE OF MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL.
How about the next one? ANGER. Yep we can’t excuse our SINFUL ANGER…GOD SAYS WE HAVE TO PUT IT AWAY TOO! JUST LIKE GOD EXPECTS HIS CHILDREN TO PUT AWAY FORNICATION, AND LUST, AND GREED, HE EXPECTS US TO PUT AWAY OUR SINFUL ANGER!
The word anger here, refers to the slow, smoldering emotion that is boiling just below the surface. I know we’re tempted to come back and say, “That’s just my personality. That’s the way I was raised. That’s my weakness.” That’s what you say...God says PUT IT AWAY!
It’s a filthy garment that you need to rid yourself of through the power of the Holy Spirit!
The next word is WRATH. Wrath refers to the EXPLOSIVE ANGER & PASSIONATE OUTBURSTS. It’s no longer boiling beneath the surface but now it has expressed itself in an unhealthy way that dishonors our Lord. GOD SAYS PUT IT AWAY!
MALICE is the next word in the list. This is a word that suggests EVIL INCLINATIONS, ILL WILL, and a DESIRE TO HARM OTHERS. Paul says this attitude has no place in the Christian Life. GOD SAYS PUT IT AWAY!
BLASPHEMY is something else that does not belong in the life of a Christ follower. This refers to evil speaking and words which seek to injure others. This is also known as slander. Some blasphemy is directed toward God, and some is directed toward others and their reputation. GOD SAYS PUT IT AWAY!
FILTHY LANGUAGE is next. This refers to obscene, shameful, or disgraceful speech. Same list…Same God…Same book. Some of you wouldn’t be caught dead “DOING CERTAIN THINGS” but your language is “FILTHY.” God says PUT IT AWAY!
Finally he says, DO NOT LIE TO ONE ANOTHER.
All the things Paul mentions, regardless if it’s a perverted way of thinking, sexual immorality, or deceit and dishonesty are things that should not characterize a follower of Christ. He tell us to PUT THEM AWAY!
I love how Tony Evans illustrates this
When you have taken a shower, you put on clean clothes. They complement what the shower was designed to do. Jesus Christ cleansed you by his blood. Therefore, you must ask yourself, “Will those clothes match what Jesus did in my life?”
Jesus has cleansed us with His precious blood! He has removed the FILTHY RAGS of our old life and replaced them with His robes of righteousness.
If we’ve been working in the sewer and have taken a shower and gotten clean, why would we want to put the nasty clothes we just took off back on again?
We’ve got to cast aside the garments of anger, bad tempers, lust, greed, and sexual immorality away!
Finally, we are reminded...
As a New Person We are Experiencing a Spiritual Metamorphosis (vv. 10-11)
As a New Person We are Experiencing a Spiritual Metamorphosis (vv. 10-11)
Notice Colossians 3:10-11
and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.
Let’s give this verse some thought. Paul has revealed to us all the things that we need to STRIP AWAY in regard to the “OLD MAN.” Now he says there are some things we need to PUT ON…We will talk about these in more detail in a later message, but notice that this “NEW MAN” is “renewed.” I really like the way the CSB words this:
and have put on the new self. You are being renewed in knowledge according to the image of your Creator.
As a believer in Jesus we are going through a “spiritual metamorphosis.” The new self has come and it is constantly being shaped and formed to resemble our Creator more and more.
Warren Wiersbe put it this way:
We were formed in God’s image, and deformed from God’s image by sin. But through Jesus Christ, we can be transformed into God’s image!
How does this happen? It begins at the NEW BIRTH…BEING BORN AGAIN as a result of one turning from their sin and embracing Christ by faith as their Lord and Savior.
It continues to happen as our knowledge of Christ and His Word is continually renewed. But this isn’t all that happens! Look at Colossians 3:11 again
where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.
In the family of God ALL barriers are removed! It’s no longer about one’s ethnicity, it’s no longer about whether or not we observe the Old Covenant and it’s regulations, or what side of the tracks one grows up on, it’s no longer about our family backgrounds...
The only FAMILY that matters now is whether or not we are a part of Christ’s family!
Not only has Christ healed us of our sin, but CHRIST HAS HEALED THE DIVISIONS caused by sin!
Ethnic, religious, cultural, and social barriers no longer have significance! The ONLY significance that matters now is whether we are IN CHRIST!
Paul says that Christ is ALL and in ALL! As Max Anders says, “Christ is CENTRAL and SUPREME!”
He goes on to say: “…within the new community those distinctions don’t matter. The false teachers at Colossae were fond of dividing people into categories…The truth is, ALL BELIEVERS ARE EQUAL!”
HAVE YOU BEEN MADE NEW—Salvation
ARE YOU PUTTING OFF THE OLD—Practical Sanctification
-What are the things that the Holy Spirit has spoken to you about that need to be PUT OFF?
ARE YOU IDENTIFYING WITH THE NEW—BAPTISM and NEW LIFE and CHURCH
RE-DEDICATION