It's Time to Go Higher

In order for a plane to reach its destination from point A to point B it must leave the ground and ascend to an altitude high enough that the plane is not inhibited from reaching its planned destination. If the plane does not ascend high enough, the plane would quickly crash into trees and tall buildings and never make it to the set destination. Planes before leaving the ground are always thoroughly examined and tested to ensure all of the pertinent functions of the plane are in tact to prevent any possible calamity from transpiring to the plane and subsequently the passengers on board.

While that is a good reason for planes to elevate high enough - it is not the only. The real means of why planes must travel at least some 30 something thousand feet in the air is because the air is thin and because the air is thin the plane can burn less fuel yet move faster.

I’ll admit to you I am not the best flyer. I spend most of my time on the ground and so when flying my body knows something different is happening and does not always respond favorably. Its sometimes as if gravity is not stopping the plane but pulling me down while on the plane. But in order for me to get to where I got to go in a timely manner flying is the only means of getting there.

And we are like that sometimes in the church if we will be honest. Given the extraordinary secularism that has for decades now crept into the church we are more often than not more influenced by the world then what we actually are aware of or willing to admit. And its not that we burry our heads in the sand and ignore what is happening outside of the world of Christendom. Yet we are called to see whats going on in the world but view it through the lenses of the Word of God and not conform to it because we are in the world and not of it, we’ve been called out of the darkness into the marvelous light because of the work of Jesus at Calvary.

In other words, if I am a child of God that prescribes a certain behavior. I can’t deal with folk the way someone would who doesn’t know God. Because my identity with and in God causes me to act different because of the impression of the word and power of God in my life. Faith cannot only be defined as belief in God but it must also be defined in my actions because I believe in God. And when I believe in God through Jesus Christ I am told in Matthew 16 that in order to identify as a Christ follower I must first deny myself. That word deny there literally means I must disown my old nature. Even when I’ve got the right to go off on somebody, even when I’ve got the right to cuss somebody out… it is my denial of self and subsequently my identity received because of what Jesus has done that controls and constrains me in adverse situations.

I was a liar until I met Jesus. I was a thief until I met Jesus. Some of you could drink folk under the table until you met Jesus. And so that means just like a plane you’ve learned to not be bothered and moved by stuff on the ground that will inhibit you from making it to the set destination God has prepared for your life!

And not only that just like the plane you have learned to set your mind in high places with Jesus so that you don’t expend unnecessary foolishness. I need energy to serve God and do what He has called me to do. I ain’t got time to deal with no mess or no crabs in the bucket who are constantly trying to pull me down with them. But I’ve got to go higher!

I don’t have to become changed and ugly by circumstances because of what around me is ugly. I can maintain my character and my joy because I don’t identify with where I am down here but I identify with where I am in God.

Paul admonishes the young church at Colossae since you have been raised with Christ. What that indicates is exclusivity. Another way of saying it would be “because you have been raised with Christ...” So everybody can’t think high because they don’t have any connection to higher. But you and I are apart of those represented by Christ and so Christ has given us the power not to be bothered by small stuff trying to take us off focus! And it is important that you realize its not because of anything that you’ve done but it is solely because of what Christ has done for you that you are a recipient of!

Then he says to set your affections on things above… not in the universe but set it where Christ is. This is to say that Christ is positionally and presently at the right hand of God. And it is because Christ is in you and you are in Christ you have divine representation through Jesus with God!

I called my mom last week to tell her about something that had happened. I was pretty upset and I called her just to vent. And when she began to respond to what I said she didn’t intentionally make light of it - but her making light of it helped me to get over it quickly because I started to view what I was dealing with from her point of view. And that is the advantage of understanding your position in Christ. When you understand your position in Christ as if you are flying 36,000 feet in the air and look down and see nothing but clouds or you see little spots on the ground that you can’t tell buildings from trees. When you understand your position in Christ the things that use to bother you won’t even be worth it because you’ll understand how small they are to God.

We are often sitting somewhere having a fit over something that has happened to us and God says today to you how long will you waste time on small stuff? Behold I am ready to do a new thing in your life.... what the enemy sends to disrupt you only shows what’s in you.