Treasuring Christ in a New Year

BLANK SLIDE TO BEGIN RECORDING (Please don’t wait for Matt to be on platform.)

Introduction and Scripture Reading

Scripture Introduction

As we enter a new year it seems as though everyone is vying for our attention, seeking to sell their best prescription or advice for how to become a better version of ourselves. You may have already considered several areas of growth to focus on this year and, in and of itself, there’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, it can be quite good.

We can learn a lot from Jonathan Edwards, an American revivalist preacher, philosopher, and theologian, who wrote his own resolutions (though they were not specifically New Year’s Resolutions).

When Edwards wrote his resolutions, he was in his late teens. His godliness, wisdom, and humility stand out in his preface, before ever starting his resolutions:

SLIDE (Edwards’ Preface to His Resolutions)

“Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God's help, I do humbly entreat him by his grace to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ's sake.

Remember to read over these Resolutions once a week.”

Edwards noted his:

Inability to accomplish anything without God’s help;

Confidence to ask God for grace He is glad to give to those who seek Him;

A single-minded devotion to live according to God’s will;

Desire to glorify Jesus Christ above all;

Need to remind himself of this commitments regularly.

This is helpful to us as we strive to begin a new year with a right focus:

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to be Wholly His as we live with our church vision in mind, to reach, teach and live out what it means to be wholehearted followers of Christ.

The Apostle Paul has direction for us in this pursuit as well, and as helpful as Edwards’ perspective is, no man’s perspective will help like the perfect Word of God, so let’s ask the Lord’s help and focus in on what God’s has for us this morning.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank you for a new day in a new year. Honestly, we don’t know whether we’ll see the end of 2022 because we don’t know what tomorrow holds for us. You are God of this world and everything that exists, and we are not, and we acknowledge our total dependence on you for absolutely everything, whether we recognize it in every area or not.

Will you help us this morning—and according to your will—every day we face this year, to live as people who are increasingly wholly yours, knowing this is a journey we pursue as long as we’re in these bodies and until you take us to glory!

In Jesus’ name—amen.

Scripture reading

Please open your Bible or Bible app to Colossians 3 with me this morning. We preach from this Bible, which is more necessary for us than the food we eat, and we’ll be moving around within Colossians a bit this morning so it’ll be helpful for you to see the context for what we’re looking at. We’ll focus in on Colossians 3.1-4 today.

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Colossians 3:1–4 ESV

1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have 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.

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Proposition

Treasuring Christ means living out our position in Christ by intentionally shifting our focus from things of earth to things above, to Christ who fills us.

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I. Our position: raised with Christ.

Notice that Paul begins with an “if” statement. This is a conditional statement which both begs the question: “Have you been raised with Christ?”

In asking this, he references what he’s already said in ch. 2.

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Colossians 2:6–15 ESV

6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. 11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

Have you received Christ Jesus the Lord as your only hope in life and death?

Are you trusting in God’s grace through Jesus Christ alone for the forgiveness of your sins?

If so, then you have the Holy Spirit’s power at work within you. But you must also cooperate with the Holy Spirit by practicing your position in Christ.

A. Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

Right hand conveys strength, sustenance and victory for God’s people.

Ps 17 7 “7 Wondrously show your steadfast love, O Savior of those who seek refuge from their adversaries at your right hand.”

Ps 139.10 “10 even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.”

Col. 2.9 — In Christ all the fullness of deity dwells bodily.

You and are I filled in him.

Made alive…having been forgiven our trespasses

our debt for sin has been cancelled—including especially its legal demands.

Christ nailed them to the cross, disarming the power of the rulers and authorities.

B. Living with the authority of Christ.

Everything that is the Son’s is ours. Our being seated with Christ reflects our unity with Christ and the authority that comes with it. And this reality should affect how we think and live. Consider what Jesus told his disciples:

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Matthew 28:18–20 ESV

18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

When Christ told them to go and make disciples, he did so on the basis of his authority over all creation, which he gives to those who walk in Him—who pursue His will.

The disciples ministered/served others on behalf of Christ and the kingdom of heaven. Paul even calls himself an ambassador of Christ in 2 Corinthians 5:20. He says,

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2 Corinthians 5:20 ESV

20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

An ambassador goes everywhere with the message and the authority of the person he or she represents. Paul is not only saying that he had the message of God, but also the authority of God in saying it.

Illustration

Application

Transition statement:

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II. Set your mind/affections on things above—on the beauty and power of Christ.

Paul says this two ways:

In verse 1 he echoes Jesus when he says, “seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.”

Jesus said in Matthew 6.33

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Matthew 6:33 ESV

33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

And now in verse 2 he heightens the focus of intentionality when he says,

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Colossians 3:2 ESV

2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

Notice the command is stated is where to focus and what not to focus on:

Focus on things above—things that are eternal.

Do not focus on things that are on the earth—things that are temporal—which are not everlasting.

Meditate on Christ:

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Colossians 1:15–20 ESV

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

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Hebrews 1:1–2 ESV

1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.

Transition: It has been said that some people are so heavenly minded they are no earthly good. This is not the kind of heavenly mindedness Paul’s referring to. He’s referring to a heavenly mindedness that is wonderfully good and effective for those we interact with.

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A. We develop a heavenly mindset by saturating our minds with God’s perfect Word, and believing them in faith.

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Deuteronomy 6:6–9 ESV

6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

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B. We develop a heavenly mindset by rejecting worldly pursuits and human philosophies.

Paul specifically mentions not focusing on things that are earthly—temporary pursuits, deceptive belief systems/promises, which stem from human philosophy. He says this in verse 2, calling back to mind what he said moments ago in Col 2.8).

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Colossians 2:8 ESV

8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.

Paul says we are dead to earthly things—pictured through what baptism displays.

We are hidden with—in—Christ. (The doctrine of our Union with Christ.)

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C. We must look to Christ to remind ourselves that this is not our home—we have a heavenly home with Christ whom we treasure most.

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Colossians 3:4 ESV

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

This is our hope, Christian!

Jesus is your life.

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Galatians 2:20 ESV

20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

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Philippians 1:21 ESV

21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Pick back up from the beauty and strength we read on Col. 1:15-20 where Paul says:

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Colossians 1:21–23 ESV

21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

Restate Proposition

Treasuring Christ means living out our position in Christ by intentionally shifting our focus from things of earth to things above, to Christ who fills us.

Conclusion and Transition to Communion

Closing Prayer

Communion