Colossians Keep Seeking

Colossians 3:1-4

Keep Seeking the Things Above

Today: Remember your Baptism. Seek the Things that are Above.

You may be inclined to quickly think about the baptism service, the memory of church folks and family folks around you, loving on you… going down into the waters… wondering if the pastor would drown you… or maybe you think about how emotional it was...

But… I want you to remember what your baptism signified...

Your water Baptism points to something. It signifies something powerful.

Water Baptism signifies what Christ has done for us. As we are completely immersed under the waters, this symbolizes our burial with our Lord. We are baptized into His death on the Cross and we are raised up out of the waters, symbolizing our resurrection with Christ.

The Old Man, born under law and sin, mastered by sin… is buried. The Old Man, ruled by sin and flesh… buried. The sin that would send him to hell… buried.

Our baptism communicates: “You have been cleansed. You have been forgiven. You have been redeemed. You are a new creation.

2:14 - All the decrees that were against me and you that spoke these words: Guilty, Condemned, Hell-Bound, Child of Wrath, God Hater… so on and so forth… And the punishment is death and hell...

There was this decree and certificate of debt that each and every one of us had or has… But Jesus took that certificate and decree and nailed it to the Cross.

The law says that you are a sinner. The law says that you are condemned. The law says that we need a Savior. The certificate of debt states that you owe. The decree states that you are cast out...

But Jesus’ blood speaks a better word… (Hebrews 12:24)

Jesus’ Blood says: Forgiven, Redeemed, Chosen, Freed, Loved, Mercy, Grace, My Child, You are Mine forever, Debt Free, You have a Home in Heaven, You have the Father and the Father has you; you are holy, righteous, and complete.

The certificate and decree is wiped clean. It is removed forever.

You see: The Law and all of its demands are over us until we die. The guilty, the condemned, and the debtor will remain in this condition until they die, until they pay for their crimes and debt… with their lives.

*But what if God hides your life in Christ?

What if your life is really found with Christ… where He is?

What if the law, death, and hell could not touch us?

Christian, this is where you are.

If you are a Christian today… you are in Christ. You are identified with Christ.

Your life is hidden with Christ in God.

You have experienced a Divine Exchange: God has taken away the Old Man and has given you a New Man. We give Him our sin and He gives us Christ’ Righteousness.

Now, when God sees you… He sees the Righteousness of Jesus Christ and loves you as His very own.

He has called you. He has justified you. He has glorified you. (Romans 8)

This is what Christ has done and this is who and what you are.

“But what about my sin and my past; what about Satan trying to steal me away; but what about my feelings?”

Jesus is preeminent. Jesus is above all things. Jesus is over all things. Jesus is greater that my sin/past. Jesus is greater that Satan and his followers; Jesus is greater than my feelings; Jesus is greater than any teacher, any prophet, any angel, and wisdom...

Jesus is the Supreme One! He is Alpha and Omega, the Final Authority.

Remember what momma said after you ran in the house and said, “Billy told me I was an accident; Susie said I was worthless; they called me bad names...”

And momma said, “Well, consider the source baby...”

They are not reliable sources. Do not give their words any room in your mind and heart.

Now… What are we to do? If you have been raised up with Christ, the Supreme One, keep seeking the things above where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on these things… not on these that are on earth… Your life is hidden with Christ in God.

He is the ultimate One, the absolute Source of Life, truth, and wisdom...

Set your minds. Set your eyes. Set your hearts. Keep seeking Christ and His truth.

2:8 - The world’s teachers and system will fill you with philosophies and human traditions.

Atheism; secular humanism, will say we are accidents and we are on our own. The world’s religions will come along and say “it is up to your performance; it is up to you, and you can do this; you can save yourself, be your own god, and you can do whatever you want to do.

Man’s traditions will be mixed with Christian teachings and they will add to the work of Jesus...

Our own reasoning will lead us to conclude that these teachings seem right, or feel right, maybe they have some Jesus mixed in there; maybe God is in this...

There is that common expression, “All truth is God’s Truth.” Therefore, this other knowledge or wisdom could be used, since God may be in it.”

How do you know that God is in this teaching or philosophy at all? Because it feels right?!

People will say that it feels right to follow Buddah, Muhammad, or Mormonism...

2:9 - No, the fullness of God dwells in Christ and it is Christ who fills us.

If your philosophy and traditions do not line up with Christ and His teachings… then they do not line up. If they do not work with Christ and His teachings, then they do not work.

Do not seek them, and do not fill yourself up with them.

Human philosophy, human traditions, religion, and the law are not the Supreme things of God… and they did not die for you and they were not raised for you.

You are not baptized into dead religion, into philosophy, tradition, or the law...

You were baptized and raised in Jesus Christ.

He died and lives for you.

Your life is found with Christ. Your hope is found with Christ. Your name, your salvation, your home… The Way, the Truth, and the Life… is found with Christ.

You are His now… and He is yours...

There is no going back.

(Sing) “He set me free, yes, He set me free. And He broke the bonds of prison for me. I’m glory bound, My Jesus to see. For glory to God, He set me free...”

He has set me free, and now with the life I live… I live for Him.

The life I now live is not a performance for grace. It is not a performance for mercy and salvation. The life I live is a life of gratitude… a life of thanksgiving… a life of worship...

This life is directed to Christ. This life is directed to His Word, to His rest, to His peace and Joy.

(Song) “My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus’ name...”

Do not frame your life with cold, dead religion… Do not frame your life without Jesus’ Blood and Righteousness.

You life is found in Him. Your life is hidden in Him. Set your life toward Him and keep walking.

Along the way… every Christian is going to struggle. Every Christian is going to become distracted. Along the way, we will become convinced that we should be perfect in our performance… We will sin, feel conviction… but instead of looking, setting our minds, and seeking Christ… We will look inward and fall into condemnation and guilt.

Along the way… demons or the devil himself will take our sins and shove them in our faces, tell us to look at ourselves, to seek self-righteousness, to run away from prayer, run away from God, and live in our guilt...

It is also possible… that along the way… we will start mixing worldly wisdom in with Christianity… and we will begin to excuse sin, abuse grace, and begin to look like the rest of the world.

Along the way… we may stop seeking the Christ above, the things above… Our minds will start slipping… and we will find ourselves going backwards.

Even Christians… even Christians… even pastors, Sunday School teachers, Deacons, everyone.

Paul tells the church in 2 Corinthians 11:3 - “I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from the sincere and pure devotion to Christ.”

I am afraid… your thoughts are going away from Jesus. I am afraid that your thoughts are leading you away from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ...

All of a sudden… our thoughts take us down a path in which something else becomes the main thing. We become the main thing. Our pain becomes the main thing. Our performance becomes the main thing. The church building and programs become the main things… music becomes the main things...

For ministers… ministry becomes the main thing… this one doctrine becomes the main thing...

And along the way… our thoughts take us away from simplicity and devotion to Christ...

Paul tells Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:16 - Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this…

Keep a close watch on this. Keep a close watch on your thought life.

Watch your devotion life. Watch your prayer life.

And ask the questions: Am I seeking the things above? Or am I seeking something else?

Along the way… without seeking the things above... eventually we may come to a place where we are convinced that God is only concerned with my church attendance and my everyday behavior… just look good, and then you will be accepted...

Along the way… without seeking the things above… we are filled and led by something else.

Along the way… cold/dead religion will replace the relationship.

Along the way… you may fall into sin… and your thoughts and feelings will draw your minds away from Christ, the Cross and your Baptism… and you will find yourself in the pits...

Christian… remember your Baptism and set you minds on things above.

*Christian… If you… or since you have been raised with Christ… Your life is Christ’s. Your life is hidden in Christ. Your sin and sin debt has been dealt with. Your condemnation and shame is no more… It has been nailed to the Cross.

The enemy has nothing on you… only that which you give him.

The enemy comes along to steal, kill and destroy… Accusing you, taking your sin and leading your to condemnation and guilt, away from Jesus, and into emotional despair...

But then you take up the shield of faith, helmet of salvation, sword of the Spirit… as you set your minds on that which is above… and remember what Christ has done for you, remember the promises of God, and our identity in Christ...

Set you minds on things above!

It is done. It is finished. Satan cannot undo what Christ has done.

Nobody can add or take away from that which Christ has done.

You can’t take away Jesus blood, His mercy, grace or love...

You have been washed. You have been made clean. You have been buried with Christ. And now you have been raised to walk in the newness of life.

Set your minds on Him. Seek Him.

The Bible says that those who will seek Him, will find Him.

Listen: Christ is coming back with His reward with Him.

And when He comes back for you… you also will appear with Him in glory!

Do not become distracted.

Your life and your inheritance, your reward, your glory, your heaven is coming.

You will not lose it if Christ has it… If Christ has you.

Just keep seeking Him, until He comes.

Read and Pray 1:9-14

This is where we are going.

Keep your minds on Him. Set your minds. Seek Him.

Invitation: Are you distracted today? Are your thoughts taking you away from Jesus and His promises?

Today is a new day to reset our minds and begin seeking Christ again.

Pray. Close.