Colossians 3:1-8...

I want to start off this evening with an exhortation. We know that every season is God’s season, but summer has a special power.

We know that our Lord Jesus Christ is refreshing. But what happens in summer for many of us is

we tend to fly from Him into Christ-less leisure which makes our souls parched.

At first it may feel like freedom and fun to skimp on prayer and neglect the Word, but then we pay:

shallowness,

powerlessness,

vulnerability to sin,

preoccupation with trifles,

superficial relationships, and

a frightening loss of interest in worship and

the things of the Spirit.

Don’t let summer make your soul shrivel.

God made summer as a foretaste of heaven, not a substitute.

If the mailman brings you a love letter from your fiancé, don’t fall in love with the mailman.

That’s what summer is: God’s messenger with a

sun-soaked,

tree-green,

flower-blooming,

lake-glistening letter of love

to show us what He is planning for us in the age to come— “...What no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has conceived— God has prepared these things for those who love him.” ()

Jesus Christ is the refreshing center of summer. He is preeminent in all things (), including

vacations,

picnics,

softball,

long walks, and

cookouts.

He invites us in the summer: “Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (). This is serious summer refreshment.

Do we want it? That is the question. Christ gives himself to us in proportion to how much we want His refreshment.

13 "You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart.” ()

Peter has a word about this to us: "Therefore repent and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped out, that seasons of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord...” ()

Repentance is not just turning away from sin; it is also turning toward the Lord with hearts open, expectant, and submissive.

What sort of summer mind-set is this? It is the mind-set of .

Piper, J. (1997). A Godward life: savoring the supremacy of God in all life (p. 105). Sisters, OR: Multnomah Publishers.

Paul has been expounding and exalting in the doctrine of Christ against the evil teachings which would have robbed the Colossians of their wholeness in Christ.

Paul has been expounding and exalting in the doctrine of Christ against the evil teachings which would have robbed the Colossians of their wholeness in Christ.

Piper, J. (1997). A Godward life: savoring the supremacy of God in all life (pp. 104–105). Sisters, OR: Multnomah Publishers.

Piper, J. (1997). A Godward life: savoring the supremacy of God in all life (p. 104). Sisters, OR: Multnomah Publishers.

Paul has been expounding and exalting in the doctrine of Christ against the evil teachings which would have robbed the Colossians of their wholeness in Christ.

1 "So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 "For you 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. 5 "Therefore, put to death what belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry. 6 "Because of these, God’s wrath is coming upon the disobedient, 7 "and you once walked in these things when you were living in them. 8 "But now, put away all the following: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and filthy language from your mouth.” ()

Do you remember Paul’s exhortation in 2:6? "So then, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him,”

The following passages are a fleshing out of what it means to continue to live in Christ.

In fact our passage’s theme is this: Deep intimacy with Christ produces Kingdom life through the church.

What’s deep intimacy with Christ look like?

Think of these beautiful words spoken to the church: "See! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” ()

Do you hear the language of intimacy? “...I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”

To sit at the table with Christ, He enjoying His graces in His blood bought people, and those same people feasting upon His great glory!

This is the height of our spiritual delight!

I love these words. See if you can hear how we enjoy communion with Christ?

13 "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” ()

While believers commune with the Father in love, we commune with the Son in “grace” specifically.

Personal grace -focusing on the Person of Christ.

In says that God sent His Song and that He was given the Spirit w/out measure. Then in says that 16 "Indeed, we have all received grace upon grace from his fullness,” ().

Jesus has this complete suitableness to all the needs of the souls of people.

It begins when Christ gives himself to the soul, and the saints

receive,

embrace, and

submit unto the Lord Jesus as their

husband,

Lord, and

Savior.

This stirs the affections of mutual delight.

That focusing on the Person of Christ, Personal grace.

Then there’s Purchased grace - focusing on the work of Christ as Mediator.

All the purchased graces for us and eternal life are now supplied through the mediation of the risen, ascended, and enthroned Christ!

All the things that we do, we do out of the spring of His grace and is said to be in union with Him.

4 "Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life.” () 20 "I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” () 5 "made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! 6 "He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus,” () 12 "when you were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 "And when you were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he made you alive with him and forgave us all our trespasses.” () 1 "So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” () 3 "For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” () 11 "This saying is trustworthy: For if we died with him, we will also live with him;” ()

1 "So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” () 3 "For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” () 11 "This saying is trustworthy: For if we died with him, we will also live with him;” ()

And in being joined to Christ these various ways we have

full acceptance with God (justification),

our sanctification from God, and

all the privileges with God.

So lets zero in on our intimacy with Christ.

1 "So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” ()

The rules of the false teachers,

having to do with the things of this world,

cannot subdue the power of the sinful nature (vv. 22–23) and

serve, indeed, to sever believers from their “head,” the only true source of spiritual strength (v. 19).

Therefore believers need to focus on what is “above,” where Christ is Himself to be found.

Because they are “in Him” and Christ has Himself been raised to sit at the right hand of the Father, so believers can be said to have been “raised with” Him.

So you remember what’s said in 2:20? 20 "If you died with Christ to the elements of this world...” ()

Moo, D. J. (2008). The letters to the Colossians and to Philemon (p. 246). Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Pub. Co.

Dying with Christ is a symbol of the drastic split with the old life.

You’ve got these two opposing thoughts coming together in 3:2. "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” ()

Moo, D. J. (2008). The letters to the Colossians and to Philemon (p. 244). Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Pub. Co.

So it was implying that there’s been a drastic split with the old life.

Now, 3:1 shows us how this new life gets under way with a new orientation as believers set their hearts on seeking the things above.

“seek the things above”

This key cord is being strummed again and has some implications for us.

a. Since believer are in Christ, they already belong to the world above where He is.

He’s seated at the right hand of God.

The whole heavenly realm centers around Christ!

Follow this out. If we’re raised with Christ already, what is it that our earthly lives should center around?

CHRIST!!!!

If Christ is raised to the position of authority at God’s right hand, nothing can prevent access to this realm and to God’s presence.

Think of the implications of this on Sunday’s in our prayer meeting.

Christ is raised, we’re raised with Him and He’s in the position of authority and so when we pray, He is with us right next to His Father!

This thought also secures our salvation. There’s no insecurity concerning the salvation we have in Him nor of its final outcome!

b. We already have knowledge of that realm through their faith. 12 "when you were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.” ()

This knowledge of our dying with Christ and rising with Christ comes through faith, not by using

other mediators,

by pursuing visionary sideshows,

by submitting to legalistic decrees, or

by mortifying our bodies.

c. Since Christ is not one of the serving angels but reigns over all, all of our lives should be ruled by Him.

Every

thought,

aim,

value,

aspiration, and

striving

should come under His lordship.

2 "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 "For you 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.” ()

Here Paul tells of the need to use the renewed mind.

He calls the Christians to come to a true understanding of the heavenly Christ,

so that they may discern His will and purposes.

Garland, D. E. (1998). Colossians and Philemon (p. 202). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

These heavenly thoughts which create intimacy with Christ are going to be the thoughts that produce Kingdom life in and through the Church.

Verse 3 describes the great change that has taken place for the Colossians through their regeneration.

3 "For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” ()

The old life is over and the new life has begun.

The source of this new life is in Christ:

it is in union and fellowship with the exalted Christ that

believers have found the great secret of the knowledge of God.

Why is this new union with Christ said to be ‘hidden’?

The reason for this is that the perfect union between Christ and his people is a heavenly union, and therefore is hidden from man’s observation.

What can be seen of it on earth is the church militant, no doubt, but it is also the church frail and very human.

Despite worldwide achievements in people’s hearts, (1:6) the church continues to bear the marks of weakness and humiliation.

It is often cold (Ephesus),

slandered and imprisoned (Smyrna),

in part faithless (Pergamum),

tolerant of the intolerable (Thyatyra),

lifeless and sleepy (Sardis) and

wretchedly self-satisfied (Laodicea).

There is comfort here as well as shame.

For if the ‘body’ is marked by humiliations, so in His earthly ministry

was the ‘head’, though Himself, yet without sin.

Identifying Himself with sinners, He was ‘made sin’ for us.

How impossible for the man and woman of the world to see the glory of God in the man on the cross!

This is exactly where verse 4 completes the story.

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

A day is coming when the Christ of faith whom we now worship will be the Christ revealed for what He is to the astonished gaze of all the world.

Then the church universal will be revealed for what it is, also to the astonishment of the world.

Christ will then be so united with His people that the glory manifested by Him will be manifested by them also.

So the direction of our lives isn’t inward. Focusing on ourselves or on politics or worldly affairs.

It’s not inward, but the direction of our lives is actually upwards!

This is where you need a renewed mind.

Minds taken up constantly contemplating the ascended Christ.

Christ is the one whom we love to seek for himself, to praise with overflowing heart, the one we are content simply to be with.

He is also one whom now we must get to know.

Lucas, R. C. (1980). Fullness & freedom: the message of Colossians & Philemon (p. 137). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

What are his likes and dislikes? What pleases him (1:10)?

Who is he and what does this mean for the world, and for us (1:15–22)?

What is there about him that we need to know if we are to grow to maturity (1:28)?

Paul very often urges the young Christian to think in this way.

It is a mark of spiritual consecration to do so, and it is the normal way in which to discover the will of God for our lives.

Lucas, R. C. (1980). Fullness & freedom: the message of Colossians & Philemon (pp. 139–140). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

What’s the Kingdom life look like in & through the church? We’ll see next time.