Sermon Tone Analysis

Have you ever heard of the saying, “They just have their head in the clouds!”

Title:

Text:

Main Idea: Keep Your Head in Heaven

Well, do you know what it means?

"Head in the clouds" means the person is not paying much attention to what is happening around them, and has their attention on their own thoughts, or their head is filled with unrealistic ideas.

Introduction

Attention (Why should they listen to you?)

Well, in a sense, this is what believers in Christ are to be characterized as.

Maybe not Head in the clouds, but certainly we are to have “heads in Heaven!”

And while our biblical ideas may seem unrealistic and even ridiculous to the unbeliever, to those of us that know Christ, the things of heaven, the Christ of heaven is the meaning of our existence!

This is what Paul was communicating to the Colossians who were being tempted to listen to a variation of the gospel which then became no gospel at all! Paul remedy for such heresy?

Main Idea: Keep Your Head in Heaven

Interrogative: Why should the believer do this?

Three reasons and the first is...

1.

Because You are Raised with Christ (vs.

1-2)

Lead in…What and amazing phrase!

Christ didn’t simply beat death and call it a day.

He beat death and and because He did, we are promised to beat death as well.

And because of this truth, we are to change our focus with will change the way we think!

Text -

Explanation -

Do you remember from last Sunday the “if or since then” clause Paul writes in verse 20? “If with Christ you have died...”?

Well, he’s at it again, but look at the “if” now... “If” or “Since” (as the NIV translates this passage) then you have been raised with Christ...”

“If” or “Since” (as the NIV translates this passage) then you have been raised with Christ...”

So get the point here.

Since you died and have been raised…In other words, Since you are transformed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ...

Since you are born again...

Since you are clothed in the righteousness of Christ...

Since this glorious reality is true in your life...

Stop listening to the False Teachers who are feeding you lies regarding the path of legalism or mystism.

We don’t look back, we don’t look down!

We look up!

Since you have been raised with Christ, do yourself a favor and “seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.”

Well, this leads to two question for me ( and perhaps you are thinking of these as well).

How do I seek the things that are above?

Why does Paul not only mention Christ, but say that He is seated at the right hand of God.

What does this have to do with anything?

Verse 2 is the antidote to legalism...

When you see the word set, what do you think of?

I think of “wet cement”!

Yes, wet cement!

You see when cement is wet it is still pliable and you can make imprints and impressions on the wet cement.

That’s why we often see handprints of little children and their parents...

And of course, once the cement dries it is firm and any impression made in the cement is not a permanent feature.

This is what “set” means!

Paul says to “set your minds...” or “Cement your minds...” Make them unbending on the beautiful truth of the glorious realities of Heaven and not of the things on the earth which was the focus of the False Teachers.

Now, why do you suppose Paul would challenge them to SET there minds on this things that are above?

Because the things that are above is “where Christ is...” Heaven is about Christ and nothing more!

If you can be satisfied with heaven without Christ you certainly do not understand Heaven and you are no Christian!

Because the things that are above are about the Christ who is “...seated at the right hand of God.” - “A position of favor, honor, and authority.

In the OT, God’s right hand symbolizes strength and salvation.”

FBS

Because the things that are above are devoid of sin and everything that is contrary to God.

So focusing on it brings a little bit of heaven here to earth!

The fact of the matter is this.

If you have died with Christ (verse 20 of chapter 2) and you have been raised with Christ (verse 1-2 of chapter 3) then you are a legitimate follower of Jesus.

You do not need to supplement your faith with anything or anyone else to make it more credible.

Christ is enough.

“Jesus plus nothing equals everything!”

And because you have been raised with Christ, even though your body is still here!

You head needs to be there.

And this is a good thing!

Listen to what...

And this is a good thing!

Listen to what...

Illustration -

C. S. Lewis, in Mere Christianity:

A continual looking forward to the eternal world is not (as some modern people think) a form of escapism or wishful thinking, but one of the things a Christian is meant to do.

It does not mean that we are to leave the present world as it is.

If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next.

The Apostles themselves, who set on foot the conversion of the Roman Empire, the great men who built up the Middle Ages, the English Evangelicals who abolished the Slave Trade, all left their mark on Earth, precisely because their minds were occupied with Heaven.

It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this.

Aim at Heaven and you will get earth ‘thrown in’: aim at earth and you will get neither.”

There is great value in being heavenly minded.

Paul knew that the great antidote to legalism in particular was setting one’s mind on this things that are above, not on the things of the earth.

But this begs the question, “How?”

How do I do this?

What does this look like in my day-to-day life?

According to John Piper...

The first step is to recognize our need for setting our minds on things above.

We must recognize that there are many competing claims upon our minds and our attention, and we must resolve to find a time and a place where we will not be bombarded by TV, radio, the telephone, or the internet.

Instead, we should give ourselves to our Bibles and to the living God in a little safe and quiet space.

We must give ourselves to setting our minds on things above by meditating upon and memorizing Scripture.

Likewise, as we read the Scriptures we ought to pray, "O Lord, open my eyes to see yourself and the wonders that you are and the wonders that you promise."

These are the things of heaven.

And in this way we will become more heavenly minded because we are saturating our minds with the things of God, the words of Scripture.

It is very simple in the end.

Find a time and a place where you have a season of solitude and quiet.

Open your Bible and read slowly, and as you read turn every sentence into prayer.

And saturate your mind.

Ask questions.

Ponder.

Ask how it relates to your family, your children, your singleness, your job, your leisure, so that all of your life takes on a Godward focus, a Bible saturation, and an exaltation of Jesus Christ.

https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/what-can-we-do-practically-to-help-set-our-minds-on-heavenly-things

So, the question for you this morning is, if you had to describe your thought life, would you say it is focused on this earth or heaven?

I think it is clear from the apostle, where your head should be and why it should be there.

Remember the words of Jesus?

Review - Keep Your Head in Heaven

Because You are Raised with Christ