Transfer From Earth To Heaven

As we have been studying Colossians 3. I want you to see the whole picture this morning.

Chapter 3:1-17 has to do with Holy Living

I.       The place of our affection (3:1-3)

A.    When we get saved our affection changes from earthly things to heavenly things

1.     We as Daniel did put God first in our lives

B.    I spoke some what about this the last couple of weeks

1.     So once we are saved, we are to start looking towards heaven for help and not looking to ourselves to get us out of our problems

II.     Then we have the person of our affection (Colossians 3:4) When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory

A.    We must direct our affection towards Christ who is in heaven right now

B.    If we are saved the evident will be in two areas of our lives

1.     Our personal holiness

2.     Our fellowship with others who are saved

3.     An Old preacher once said “If the saved were as afraid of sin as they are of holiness, it would be a wonderful thing”

a)     God helps us be Holy, we can not do it ourselves

b)     What does Phil say “I can do all things through Christ which strengthen me”

c)     What we should be afraid of is sin, which can brake our fellowship with Christ

C.    What does it mean that Christ is our life?

1.     Romans 6:3-4,3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life

2.     When we need help, we pray to God through Christ who is our everything, every need

3.     Now that we are saved our whole life is looking up to Christ who made everything possible

4.     Romans 12:2, And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God

5.     We are setting our affections to Christ

6.     We first set out affections to heaven and now we are to direct it to Christ Himself which is in heaven

7.     When you start to realize that it is not you who changes things in your life, but Christ working in you, you can rest in His strengeth to get the victory you need in your life

Which leads to our next point-

III.    Spiritual apparel. (3:5-17) This is talking about what affects us from the inside and what we do, that effects others

A.    What to put off (3:5-9) As we talked about last week God is using (putting off and on clothing) as an example

1.     Colossians 3:5-9,5 So kill (deaden, deprive of power) the evil desire lurking in your members [those animal impulses and all that is earthly in you that is employed in sin]: sexual vice, impurity, sensual appetites, unholy desires, and all greed and covetousness, for that is idolatry (the deifying of self and other created things instead of God). 6 It is on account of these [very sins] that the [holy] anger of God is ever coming upon the sons of disobedience (those who are bullheadedly opposed to the divine will), 7 Among whom you also once walked, when you were living in and addicted to [such practices]. 8 But now put away and rid yourselves [completely] of all these things: anger, rage, bad feeling toward others, curses and slander, and foulmouthed abuse and shameful utterances from your lips! 9 Do not lie to one another, for you have stripped off the old (unregenerate) self with its evil practices (Amplified)

2.     After giving us this list which covers everything we could be doing against ourselves, God tell us in verse 8 to put away and rid ourselves of them

a)     And after telling us all the above God goes on with the list which is against other people

3.     The habits which God want us to give up are like clothes. Let me give you an example;

a)     Some of us like to wear certain things for certain events. Like playing football or basball or fishing. Something like a good luck charm.

It is our favorate thing to wear for that event. Our bad habits is just like the cloths we wear and don’t take off. God on the other hand wants us to take them off

Our sin is the same way and what God is telling us here is don’t just take the clothing of and wash it and than put it back on.

(1)   I can’t get rid of that, I have had it a long time. That is what we do with sin

(2)   Let me give you an exsample: Lets say riding a motorcycle is a sin and you learn that you are sinning because I told you that it is sin. You go out and stop riding. That is selve doing the work. The way it should work is that God get a hold of your heart and you know that it is a sin and through God you stop riding. Bible, sermon.

What happens is we just start doing the same thing back over again after you put on the old cloths.

God is telling us to take of the clothes and burn it, destroy it so you can never put it back

b)     That is why God tells us in verse 5 to kill the sin in our lives, which we can only do with the help of Christ as we pray to Him for Help

(1)   You need to take the time and look over the list in these verses and see what area you need to take to God

B.    What to put on (3:10-17) like putting on new cloths. So what are we suppose to put on?

1.     New nature (3:10-11)

a)     God talks about renewed knowledge

(1)   2 Corinthians 4:16, For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day

b)     Putting off old cloths is not enough

(1)   We would be naked and that would be embarrassing

(a)   Putting off old habits is not enough. That would leave a void in our lives

(2)   We need to put on new cloths

(a)   Which will make us feel different, new, fresh

(b)   We have new power which we get from the Holy Spirit dwelling in us

(c)   1 Corinthians 6:19, What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

So we are to put on a new nature, next we are to put on --

2.     Compassion, kindness, etc. (3:12)

a)     Bowels of mercies = means “heart of compassion”

(1)   This is what we are to have with the people around us

b)     Kindness = carries with it the thought of being profitable.

(1)   Being helpful to others

c)     Humbleness = means “meekness of the mind”(12)

(1)   Is not looking down on one’s self

(2)   Put it is having every thing you need in Christ who gives you the strength to get whatever needs done

(3)   Our greatest example is Christ who had it all being God and was one of the humblest person that has ever been on earth

(4)   Romans 12:3, For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith

(a)   When we try to do things ourselves we become proud

(b)   On the other hand when we look to Christ for help, He is the one doing it

d)     Meekness = means “meekness of Spirit”

(1)   Consideration for the rights and feelings of others

(2)   The word describes soothing wind, a healing medicine, a colt that had been broken

(3)   Each example here has power, a wind can be strong, too much medicine can kill and a colt can brake lose

(4)   What we see here is power in control

(5)   Meekness is power in control. It is not weakness. Have you ever noticed that big man seem to be some of the meekness people around

e)     Longsuffering = “long-burning”

(1)   The word literally means “long-temper”

(2)   A short temper person speaks impulsively and lacks self-control

(3)   Again it is all about power and who has it

(4)   If God is the one we depend on, we will wait on Him

(5)   It does not matter how long we wait, because God is the one doing it

3.     Forgiveness and love (3:13-14)

a)     This lead up to what God has been telling us so far

(1)   It is not enough to be strong with power and control ones self

(2)   We must forgive the trouble maker

(3)   Ephesians 4:32, And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you

(4)   Forgiveness frees up one’s heart and opens up the door for God to love you the more and you start getting blessings form God

b)     Finally put on love

(1)   Love ties everything together. All the cloths we are to put on

(2)   This is the most important virture for us as Christians

(3)   When you think about it, you must have love to do the list of virtues God memtions to us

(4)   Look in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7,4 Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love brags not itself, is not puffed up, 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things

(a)   Is patient

(b)   Is kind

(c)   Envieth not

(d)   Nor boasts

(e)   Is not rude

(f)     Does not insist on its own way

(g)   Is not irritable or resentful

(h)   Does not rejoice at wrongdoing

(i)     Rejoices with truth

(j)     Bears up under anything

(k)   Ready to believe the best of every person

(l)     Your hope does not fade away under any circumstances

(m)  Endures everything without weaking

4.     God's peace and thankfulness (3:15)

a)     Do you have the peace of God?

b)     Does it rule in your hearts?

(1)   Rule means, is it there permanently or is it in control?

(2)   God tells us to let the peace of God rule your life

5.     The Words of Christ (3:16)

a)     The Word of God changes lives

b)     The word richly means – abundantly

(1)   The more one knows the Word, the more God works in one’s life

c)     The word “dwell” means “to fell at home”

(1)   You know what it is like to be home after a long day of work

(2)   You feel safe, and secure

(3)   You can relax, let your hair down

(4)   This is the way we are to feel about the Word of God

(5)   We know that God will work out every problem we will face

 Conclusion:

Colossians 3:17, And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

I hope this study has been a blessing to you and an encouragement as well

God has a lot for us to put on and will take care of as we put on these virtues.

Lets pray

Sunday morning Biker Serves 10/12/08