Setting Your Affections in the Rright Place

Greg Cline

3-17-06

Preaching Outline

“Setting Your Affections in the Right Place”

Colossians 3: 1-4

Thesis: We are commanded to be seeking heavenly things because we are dead to self and alive in Christ.

On board the S.S. Dorchester one dreary winter day in 1943, 903 troops boarded with four chaplains.  WWII was begun and the Dorchester had to make it across the icy North Atlantic where many German U-boats were.  At noon sharp on February 3, a torpedo ripped into the side of the boat; men everywhere fled to lifeboats crying, “She’s going down!” 

          A young GI staggered up to one of the chaplains and said, “I’ve lost my life jacket.”  “Take this,” the chaplain said as he handed over his own life jacket to the young man.  Before the end of the horrific event, each chaplain had given up his life jacket to give to another.  As the ship continued to go down, the chaplains joined arms and lifted there voices in prayer to God.  After the death of the four men, they were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for the heroic deeds they all did in giving there lives for others.

          Why would they do that?  Why would they each give so willingly their lives for others?  I believe it’s because they knew where they were going.  They had kept their focus on Heavenly glory, and not tied themselves to the distractions of this world.  Paul talks about this idea in Colossians.

I.  Commanded to be Spiritually-Minded (v 1-2)

    A. Actions- external (v 1)

        1.  If you are saved, you are risen with Christ (Col 2:12)

              a. Paul is saying “If ye then…” in verse 1

  b. He is referring back to the previous chapter

        2.  We are commanded to seek those things that are above (Matt. 6:33)

              a. What does it mean to be seeking these heavenly things?

              b. Be putting your time, money, and talent into things that have eternal worth

              c. We are to be seeking eternal rewards

   B.  Attitude- internal (v 2)

        1.  Christians are often tempted to put value on worldly things

        2.  We are commanded though to have our affections “on things above”

              a. Our desires should be Christ-like

              b. We can’t allow earthly things to distract our hearts from the Lord

II. Reasons to be Spiritually-Minded (v 3-4)

A.   We are dead (v 3)

1.  We (as Christians) are crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20)

2.  If we are dead in Christ, we shouldn’t worry about pleasing “self”

B.  Our future is with Christ (v 4)

    1.  It is no longer our life, but Christ’s life living in us (Galatians 2:20)

    2.  We now have a future in Heaven with Christ

         a. Christ is coming back

         b. And we will be with him for eternity

            Just like the chaplains that realized they had nothing on earth, and all of eternity waiting for them in heaven; we too should not be burdened with the trials and troubles we go through here on earth.  If you are risen with Christ, you should be seeking and setting your affections on thing that matter in eternity.  Be keeping your focus on Christ, not letting things on earth take your eyes off of what will be eternal.  Also, we can look at what we have waiting for us in heaven, we will be with our Savior for all eternity in glory.  Listen to the words of this popular song as I close.

                    This World is not My Home

This world is not my home, I’m just a passing through

My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue;

The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door,

And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.

O Lord, you know I have no friend like you,

If heavens not my home, then Lord what will I do?

The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door,

And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.