Untitled Sermon (35)

Verse 1) If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

Exposition I) Paul tells the Church, if you have been “buried with Christ in Baptism and raised to new life in him”

Therefore you should continue to seek the things of heaven and not of the earth.

When we believe in Jesus Christ as our saviour Paul teaches we die with Christ and are raised with Christ to new life in our hearts and life.

To believe the Gospel of Jesus is to identify with the death, burial and his resurrection of Jesus.

True saving faith leads us, to die to the old life of sin, and walk in newness of life through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus died to his flesh and was raised to new life, the Gospel demands the same from each and everyone of us.

Jesus went to the cross and died and was carried into the empty tomb a dead corpse and came out alive, changed and different transformed by the Holy Ghost.

The Cross of Calvary, the Gospel of Jesus, demands the same for us.

Just as Christs disciples and Mary did not recognize the resurrected Jesus, the lost world should not recognize the Born Again Christian, the sinner saved by grace who died with Christ, was buried with Christ and was raised to new life in Christ. (Romans 6:3-5)

Application. Have you been saved? If you have, how are you living? Focused on the flesh? loving the vain material things of this passing world more than God?

Paul says seek the things of heaven! While you yet live in the earth. Jesus commands us to seek his kingdom 1st and lay up treasure in heaven not the earth. Matt 3:19-21, 32-33

Verse 2) Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

Exposition II) Notice Paul's next command, “set your affection on things above”

Affection in Greek means “to direct one's mind to a thing”

But the English word affection comes from the Middle English word affeccioun  meaning "capacity for feeling, emotion, desire, love,"

So we see that Gods Word is telling the church today turn both your hearts and minds away from the world and the lusts thereof.

Don't love the world, don't think highly of the world nor the vain or sinful things in the world, think on Christ who sits on the right hand of God the Father,

1 John 2:15-16 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever

Application II) I fear at times, American Christians are tempted to love the world and its vanities more than the things of God.

I fear Christians think more of the world than they do of the Church. AND THAT They are partial to worldliness and opposed to godliness.

How about you this morning church member? Church visitor? Does the world outside compete with God for your affections?

Jesus Christ loves the New Testament Church, he lived for, bled for, died for it, and is coming back for it!

If the local church is the bride of Christ, if she holds such status in the heart and affections of Jesus...

Shouldn't the local church hold a special place in your hearts and affections also?

Shouldn't we all be loving AND living FOR HER?, bleeding for, even be willing to die for Christ and his church?

I pray each and everyone of us today, is obeying Paul's words in verse 2 (REREAD)

Verse 3-4) For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

We need to understand something very important this morning.

If you have received Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are dead.

The old man, the old woman, the old person you used to be is dead!

And you have been raised from that life of death, sin and darkness to walk in a new life of grace, life, light and holiness!

And now that we are dead to our old life, THE NEW LIFE WE HAVE IS HID “in Christ”

And according to Verse 4) If we are hid in Christ, if he is our life! then when he returns in Glory, we shall appear with him in glory!!!

This is what Paul wants the church of colossi to understand,

they don't need to chase after false teachers, they don't need to believe false doctrines,

they don't need to practice dead works based religon, they don't need to practice sinful lifestyles!

Why? because they are “hid in Christ” no longer do they have to hide in the world and its lust and lies therein.

No longer do they have to try to work for their salvation.

Christ has rescued them! they have been set free!!!

So church member, church visitor, stop trying to be the old you, stop trying to do what you used to,

stop thinking like the world, talking like the world, living like the world. if your saved your life is hid in Christ and you are dead to the world.

And we need to act like it, think LIKE it, talk like it!