Sermon Tone Analysis

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:

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“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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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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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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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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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.

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

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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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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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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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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.)