A Life Worth Living: A Shift of Perspective

INTRO

Colossians 2:16–3:4 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. 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.

1) Free to Break Away… (v. 16-23)

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.

…from worldly reputations! (v. 16a, 18a)

We are trained our whole lives to build good reputations.

But when what others think of us is foundational to who we are, we are trapped within that reputation.

It’s not bad to have a good reputation…but when your reputation becomes what drives you, you place yourself at the mercy of the crowd.

In this text, Paul is reminding us who has the ultimate authority over our lives: Therefore… (Go back to vs. 15: “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” )

Because Jesus has triumphed over worldly rulers and authorities…we only need to care about what He thinks!

…from empty religions! (v. 16-19)

What Christ thinks about us is not found in empty religious acts.

Isaiah 1:11–16 “11 “What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the Lord; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats. 12 “When you come to appear before me, who has required of you this trampling of my courts? 13 Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations— I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly. 14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; they have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them. 15 When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood. 16 Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil…”

A Life Worth Living doesn’t live just to check religious boxes.

vs. 17 tells us that a life the world considers religious isn’t worthless…it’s just empty if Jesus isn’t the driver of it.

Even today, people will find comfort in their religious shadows and miss out on the substance of Christ.

This is what happens when we rely on manufactured religion instead of a genuine relationship with Jesus.

Too many people regard religious devotion from a “sensuous mind”.

They try to make it more about emotional experiences (asceticism, angelology, divine words and visions), but they’re missing the core of it all: holding fast to the Head…that is Jesus.

There is genuine emotion within genuine worship and devotion, but manufacturing emotion in hopes of feeling some kind of way in order to invoke an experience is nothing more than self-worship and Christ-less devotion.

We are free to break away from such empty religious pursuits and cling to Christ who truly nourishes us, knits us together, and gives us true spiritual growth that is from God.

…from worthless rules! (v.20-23)

If we have been crucified with Christ so that is we who no longer live for ourselves, but the life we do have we we live by faith in Jesus, then we do not need to worry about the rules that pertain to earthly, temporal things.

Too many times we are so worried about the rules that we neglect a relationship with Christ.

The “elemental spirits of the world” are leads us to the do nots: do not handle, do not taste, do not touch, etc.

These things have an appearance of wisdom, but are of no value in stopping the indulgences of the flesh.

Worthless rules tell us we have to just try harder to overcome the flesh…but it’s not about trying harder. I about drawing nearer to Christ.

The closer we draw to Jesus the “do nots” become “why would we?”

A shift of perspective happens the closer we get to Jesus.

We have died with Him.

We don’t need to live for Jesus from an earthly perspective.

We will discover a Life Worth Living when we break away from being influenced by worldly reputations, empty religions, and worthless rules.

The only way we can break away from these worthless things is by embracing something far greater!

We don’t need to try and live for Jesus…we need to die to ourselves and live in Jesus.

In Him we have a shift of perspective and we are then free to break away from worldly reputations, empty religions, and worthless rules and now…

2) Free to Embrace… (v.1-4)

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.

…worthy pursuits! (v. 1)

We get to seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

Our ambitions change from self-preservation and self-exaltation to holy ambitions that are Christ-honoring and new life-discovering.

As we embrace Jesus the desires of our hearts change and we are free to enjoy what God bestows upon us!

Psalm 37:4 “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

“As we become captivated by Christ though our union with him, we should seek to filter our passions through his throne of majesty to ultimately align our will with his. Our pursuits, what we devote ourselves to, should be measured by their value in Christ’s kingdom, their purpose in accomplishing his mission, and their contribution to building his church….Ultimately, our union with Christ should stir our affections for him and redirect our pursuits.” -Dr. Scott Pace

…holy perspectives! (v. 2)

We no longer regard our lives from an earthly standpoint, but now everything begins to take on an eternal perspective.

Because of Jesus, we are blessed to change how we think!

We are no longer stuck in the ruts of thinking about things from a carnal, sinful, broken-world, skewed, and distorted perspective.

In Jesus, we are free to set our minds on things from a real, true, authentic, and holy perspective.

We now are free to embrace a perspective that values what is eternally significant and eternally meaningful!

As we draw nearer to Christ, we start to view ourselves, the world, and our place and purpose in the world from a whole new, eternal, and holy point of view.

…glorious purposes! (v.3-4)

As we embrace worthy pursuits and holy perspectives, we now are free to embrace glorious purposes.

We get to enjoy the kinds of drives and purposes that seek to glorify the One who is worthy of all glory!

We are free to be confident in His purposes for us because we are out of the way and our lives are with Him!

When He, who is our life, appears, we are able to be testimonies of His glory!

CLOSING

All of this is because in Christ we discover A Life Worth Living that Shifts our Perspective.

In Christ we are Free to Break Away from worldly reputations, empty religion, and worthless rules.

In Christ we are Free to Embrace worthy pursuits, holy perspectives, and glorious purposes.

The Key to all of a Life Worth Living is Christ and Christ alone!