set your mind

Intro

Good morning church! how are we this morning?

My name is Zach Honnen and I am a second year student at the River church pastors academy as well as the student director at the river church Davidson Location

It is so good to be with all of you again, if you weren’t here I had the opportunity to speak here back in July of last year

and it is such an honor and a blessing to be here again.

Colossians 3:1–4 ESV

1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Lets Pray:

As I was preparing for this sermon, I thought crossed my mind. How many thoughts do people think per day??

I know this may seem random, but when Paul says set our minds on things that are above, I believe he’s referring to our thoughts or mine

So I decided to go down the rabbit trail and see what Internet had to offer

and according to results of a 2020 stud people typically have more than 6,000 thoughts per day.

let’s Say you get 8 hours of sleep each night. You’re awake for 16 hours each day and have exactly 6.5 thoughts per minute

and a question that comes to my mind is what are we thinking about?

Where are our minds on a daily basis?

if you and I have the ability to look inside each other’s head, what would we see?

there is a weird movie I saw a couple years ago with a buddy, and in this movie people were on a planet, where their thoughts would become visible it be like a TV screen, kind of floating above their head, like a thought bubble, and you could see into their mind and see what they’re thinking

and if that was us, if we could look into each other’s minds, what would we see?

no, I don’t know what you’re thinking and you don’t know what I’m thinking but scripture can tell us what we should be thinking about let’s go back to our passage

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.

So right off the bat, we see something important the passage says “ if then you have been raised with Christ”

it starts off with a qualifier, and I believe we all see this, but this is very important to set our minds on the things above to seek the things that are above we must be believers

We must be born again we must be transformed by the gospel

We must’ve had a moment where we died, and were raised with Christ

It’s a Romans 10 nineIt’s a Romans nine situation of confessing Christ as Lord, believing in our heart that God raised him from the dead, and he has raised us from the dead with him.

I’m sure you understand this. Yes, I have to be a believer to the things above. Why is this important?

I think this is extremely important because you and I can’t hold this expectation to nonbelievers

No, I want to be clear with what I mean by that.

There is a danger as Christians to expect our culture to live up to the standards of the Bible when they don’t even believe in it

There’s a danger of us telling none believers

you need to think like this you need to do this you need to act like this you need to seek the things that are above

to nonbelievers or to people who have never believed in Jesus as Lord and savior it doesn’t make sense

Paul is calling believers to a higher calling with their mind. We can’t expect the world to meet a standard that is given to believers.

We don’t want to clean the outside of a cup when it comes to a nonbeliever we don’t want an exterior transformation within their thought process their language or their actions

we want a, total cleaning of house, a transformation from death to life.

So this text is for believers its a call to Jesus and away from the worlds charm and deception

But I want to invite you If any of you don't know Christ as Lord, if you don't believe in Jesus today. sometime over the rest of the time that I'm speaking,

please meet with him.

Pray to him and ask him to be your savior.

Romans 10:9 ESV

9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Now that we have that covered, let's continue with our text.

Colossians 3:1–2 (ESV)

1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

so what are The things that are above?

Well, I'm pretty sure we can go about things that is not.

I do not believe Paul is talking about heavenly possessions, gold or any of the imagery that we hear about of Heaven

I don't believe Paul is talking about some sort of prosperity or spiritual breakthrough that will give us earthly possessions.

I don't believe Paul is even talking about loved ones that we will see again one day.

So what is Paul talking about then? What are the things that are above?

seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above

So what are the things that are above? ??? PAUSE

No what is that right hand of the father?

A better question might be, who is at the right hand of the father?

its Jesus, its God its the gospel.

It is the image of Christ. the being of Christ. the representation of Christ, the representation of what he has done.

What he has done for you and I on the cross.

We are to set our minds at the right hand of the father.

And if you want to see something cool, jot down in your notes, Psalm 16 11

Psalm 16:11 ESV

11 You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Did you catch that at the end? Out of your right hand, our pleasures forever more.

You see in Christ is fullness of joy, is fullness of life. It is our pleasure. It is our joy. It will well up within us new life.

This isn't a beating you with the Bible. You need to think about Jesus more. You need to think about the gospel more. I don't know why, but because you should.

No no no this is joy. This is life. This is happiness. This is pleasures forevermore. Having our mind on Christ is joyful.

Are too often I see it in believers, young and old, We've become believers. We're excited. We're on fire for the Lord. But then life hits hard. Loss pain, suffering, trials, tribulation, spiritual warfare, whatever it is, maybe even legalism or tradition, or lack thereof.

Something creeps in and steals our joy.

The Devil Steals our joy.

Life steals our joy.

The things of this world steal our joy.

And Setting our mind on Christ is no longer about excitement, love or gratitude

But it's about obligations. Legalism. or habit? and we no longer walk around with a smile. and we make Christianity look so depressing and sad.

At his right hand are pleasures forevermore.

So to be clear, what are the things above? What should our mind be set on?

Our mind should be set on who Jesus is.

He's the god of love joy. forgiveness, restoration.

He has forgiven you and I.

our debt, though it was astronomical. He went to the cross, paid the penalty for your sin, for my sin, for the world's sin, and died and rose again so that we may have new life in Him at His right hand.

We don't have to wait until Heaven to begin living like we're already there. All we have to do is set our mind in heaven.

You and I are caught in two different realities. We are spiritually with the father. We have already been saved. Our life is been renewed. We are no longer dead. We are alive.

But we also walk in this world with temptations, its pleasures and its distractions.

And that brings us to the rest of verse

Colossians 3:2 ESV

2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

Where is our minds on the things that are above, but not the things are on earth

So what are the things on Earth that he is talking about?

Well, he's not saying to close her eyes, to sit in a dark room and never think about anything physical, ever again.

Because the Bible is clear, God created this world. And there are good things in life. There are common graces that everyone gets despite being a believer or non-believer.

We have food, we have love, we have relationships, we have family, we have the beauty and natural nature of this world.

But the question is what is at the forefront of our mind while we live in this world?

Is your life is our lives a competition of how much stuff I can have before I die?

Is our life focused? solely on game. Is it focused solely on pleasure? Is it focused solely on ourselves? Where are our priorities?

We live in a world full of distraction. TV, cell phones. music. apps, games. social events. 24/7 news.

There are so many options and so many things grabbing at our attention, grabbing at our minds, grabbing at our thoughts.

There are good things in this world, but if we prioritize them over Christ, over our relationship with God, then its idolatry.

Matthew 10:37–39 ESV

37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

God wants all of you every moment every hobby, Every idle moment, every second of your life.

Our life isn't to be consumed by the things of this world the same way, nonbelievers are consumed by the things of this world. Matthew 6:8

Matthew 6:8 ESV

8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Matthew 6:31–33 ESV

31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

God is a good father that will take care of you and I.

No matter our circumstances, no matter where we're at, God will care for you and I, and we can live with faith that he will carry us through today, tomorrow and forever.

So you and I shouldn't look like the rest of the world, being anxious about the dollar, being anxious about the next stage of life, being anxious about loved ones that we may or may not have being anxious about kids or family or grandkids.

To seek first the kingdom. To seek the things that are above, to not seek the Earth is the trust in God's sovereignty.

In other words, it's to trust that God is in control of everything And because of that, we have nothing to worry about.

The pastor summarized this mindset in a way with a phrase.

“He said, pay close attention to what you pay attention to.“

On average, you're 6000 thoughts per day. How many of those are on things above, and how many of those are on things of Earth?

Our thoughts at church are to be on God, Each and every Sunday, we should be reminded of what a gift life is with Christ.

Matthew 5:8 ESV

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Before Christ our hearts were hardened. to God.

Before Jesus, we had a heart of stone. But after Jesus, we have been given a heart of flesh, a new life.

And since we have a new heart, everything, every situation, good, bad and ugly, we can see God in it.

Weather we are at church with family alone at home, struggling with things that people can't even imagine we can see God in our situation.

Philippians 4:11–13 ESV

11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

To have our mind set on the things above is what carries us through every day. It's what brings value to the things of this world.

We are to walk this life in the victory that we have in heaven already.

We have pleasures forevermore. We have hope. We will be with Christ one day. And in a sense, we are already there. And we. are to walk in that every day.

And let's continue with the rest of our text.

Colossians 3:3–4 (ESV)

3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

There is a spiritual reality that you are. dyed to ourselves, our old selves are no longer alive, and our. real life, our true life in God, our new birth, our new life is hidden. with Christ in God.

So we have nothing to fear when it comes to this life, when it comes to pain, when it comes to torture, when it comes to death, we have nothing to fear. For we are at the right hand of the father, hidden with Christ in God.

We need to walk in this reality. believing that we can do all things through Christ and that he has won every battle that we could ever go through already.

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

The time is coming. The time is near. There will be a day when we will appear in the glory of Christ when he comes back.

What Paul is calling us to is to live in the reality that Jesus is coming.

The picture we have in the Bible is a bride waiting for her groom.

I have a lot of friends who are currently in relationships that are leading towards marriage, or they are engaged, or they are married already.

And I can tell you what, as the days count down until that wedding day, there is a joy about them. There is an excitement about them. Their mind is always on that person. Their thoughts are consumed by the joy and the reality of their new life together.

And this is the joy and the reality and the obsession that we are to have about Christ, about Jesus, about his gospel. It should flow out of us into everything we do.

The Bible says where your treasure is, your heart will be also.

And I believe where our heart is, our mind will go also.

So pay attention to what you. pay attention to.

What consumes your thoughts? What consumes your mind?

Only your 6000 thoughts per day in. two and a half thoughts per minute. Three and a half thoughts per minute. on the things above. or on the things of this world.

I don't know where you're at. I don't know where your walk with the Lord is at. But if you're broken and your thoughts are not on the things above, just understand that we're all there at times and that I've been there so much over the course of my life.

Nobody's perfect at this but we can do it through Christ. We can do it by his power.

So I want to give a handful of practical steps for this. passage,

First and foremost, if you are not a believer, please turn to Jesus.

Romans 10 9 says that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. All of us need a savior, and Jesus will provide that for you. So seek him to day. And if you'd like to talk to me after gathering, please come and find me.

Second, start your day and end your day with prayer.

Prayer is an incredible way to set our mind on the things above. And this should be something we do throughout our day. It should be a constant, ongoing conversation with God every moment.

And number three is to have scripture implanted in our mind, or to be reading God's word.

Spend time reading and memorizing and learning scripture so that throughout your day, you may meditate and think on those things. Think on those truths.

And finally, number 4 I would encourage you to listen to uplifting worship music.

Listen to songs that lift you to look at God, not songs that are about ourselves or about this world, but songs that push us to God and just leave us in genuine worship.

There was a day this past week where I was struggling, trying to focus on the things of God, and it felt like the things of this world just kept trying to grab my mind and grab my attention.

And God used a worship song that one of my friends wrote and released to just put my mind on him and focus on him. And every time the devil attacked, or this world attacked, trying to grab my attention, the Lord enabled me to be able to look at him and worship him and to set my mind of the things above.

This is a journey this is a process. and God will be with us Through all of it.

Remember, he is sovereign.

He has control over everything.

He is good. He is loving, and he wants the best for his children.

Let's rest in those truths and let's spend today tomorrow. The rest of this week, the rest of our lives thinking on the things that are above.

Let's pray.

Psalm 22 (ESV)

To the choirmaster: according to The Doe of the Dawn. A Psalm of David.

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?

O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,

and by night, but I find no rest.

Yet you are holy,

enthroned on the praises of Israel.

In you our fathers trusted;

they trusted, and you delivered them.

To you they cried and were rescued;

in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

But I am a worm and not a man,

scorned by mankind and despised by the people.

All who see me mock me;

they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;

“He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him;

let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”

Yet you are he who took me from the womb;

you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts.

On you was I cast from my birth,

and from my mother’s womb you have been my God.

Be not far from me,

for trouble is near,

and there is none to help.

Many bulls encompass me;

strong bulls of Bashan surround me;

they open wide their mouths at me,

like a ravening and roaring lion.

I am poured out like water,

and all my bones are out of joint;

my heart is like wax;

it is melted within my breast;

my strength is dried up like a potsherd,

and my tongue sticks to my jaws;

you lay me in the dust of death.

For dogs encompass me;

a company of evildoers encircles me;

they have pierced my hands and feet—

I can count all my bones—

they stare and gloat over me;

they divide my garments among them,

and for my clothing they cast lots.

But you, O Lord, do not be far off!

O you my help, come quickly to my aid!

Deliver my soul from the sword,

my precious life from the power of the dog!

Save me from the mouth of the lion!

You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen!

I will tell of your name to my brothers;

in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:

You who fear the Lord, praise him!

All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him,

and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!

For he has not despised or abhorred

the affliction of the afflicted,

and he has not hidden his face from him,

but has heard, when he cried to him.

From you comes my praise in the great congregation;

my vows I will perform before those who fear him.

The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied;

those who seek him shall praise the Lord!

May your hearts live forever!

All the ends of the earth shall remember

and turn to the Lord,

and all the families of the nations

shall worship before you.

For kingship belongs to the Lord,

and he rules over the nations.

All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship;

before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,

even the one who could not keep himself alive.

Posterity shall serve him;

it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation;

they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn,

that he has done it.

Psalm 23 ESV

A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.