Heaven's Eyes

Good morning, it’s good to be at church this morning. My name is Jeff Kammerer, I am the NextGen Pastor which mean I oversee all the programming and resources for kids and student ministries. And I’m in charge of resourcing parents and grandparents so if you are looking for something specific to help you as you disciple your child or teen I’d be happy to help you out.

Actually starting this week, me and one of the lay elders Brett Snyder will be starting a family ministry podcast and our goal is to weekly discuss things that are relevant and helpful to parents and grandparents. We’d be really encouraged if you checked that out, just search Rainbow Forest Baptist Church in any podcast app and you should find it.

When I was in my mid twenties I started noticing something happening with my vision. It was odd because I had always had really great eyesight, never had to wear glasses and never really had a need to go the eye doctor. But my eyes had finally gotten to the point where I thought I’d better see what’s wrong. I went to get checked out, and the doctor was like, yeah your eyes are awful you def need glasses, here is a really strong prescription, take that and go get frames. I take the script to the glasses shop and that person is looking at the script and says whoa, did you let him drive here? All these reactions are confusing to me because I never thought my vision was that bad. So they order the glasses and when I go in to pick them up I’m expecting this huge difference in what I’m seeing and I’m looking around and like yeah I mean I can see a difference but it’s not really that helpful. So I wear them until I can go back to the eye doctor, this time I go see someone different at a different office. And after she does some tests she comes to the conclusion, I think you have something called Keratoconus. That’s when the cornea around the eye is not a sphere but more of a cone shape which effects how light comes in which in turn effects vision. The solution for me has been to wear hard contact lenses which helps give my eye that round shape it needs and my vision has been much better over the past 10 years.

Once I got the right perspective everything became clear. I was doing things that were good and seemingly helpful but in the end it didn't result in anything because I had the wrong perspective. Maybe that’s how we could describe your Christian life? You started following Christ this many years ago but lately there doesn't seem to be any growth, you don’t see any fruit from your Christian life. Perhaps you just need to change your perspective. I’ve titled the sermon Heaven’s eyes and our text this morning is going to show us how we can have that so I’d like to invite you to join me in Colossians 3:1-4 These first few verses act as somewhat a bridge from what Paul had been discussing in dealing with the issues of the false teachers at the end of chapter 2 to what he’ll continue teaching through chapter 3 on what the response should be for those who are following Christ. What you’ll see in these few verses is practical instruction on how you should live.

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.

Pray

The most important thing to clarify here as we begin is that Paul makes it very clear who he is writing to. He’s about to give practical instruction for how we should live but the condition is very clear, “If you’ve been raised with Christ”

Colossians 3:1 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.

Then connects this back to what he has been discussed and their is similar language in verse 20… Col 2:20

Colossians 2:20 ESV

20 If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations—

What Paul is about to say, the commands he is getting ready to instruct cannot possibly be completed if you have not died and subsequently been risen with Christ.

For some of you here it will be futile to try to implement these other things without first confirming that you have in fact risen with Christ.

So lets start with this simple self examination...

Do you believe that you are a sinner? This is a yes or no question. And if you don’t believe that you are a sinner than you most certainly have not been raised with Christ. That’s not my opinion

1 John 1:8 ESV

8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

Believe that God rescued you in your sin through the work of Jesus, specifically that he came to the earth, born or a virgin, lived a perfect life, died a real death, literally rose to new life, and reigns in heaven.

Have you died to sin and been raised with Christ? For some of you that may be all the examination you need to do this morning. For others, who have been raised, here’s the command...

Colossians 3:1–2 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.

He says, “seek the things that are above” and “set your mind on things that are above”. Both of these are saying the same thing but they are slightly different. Seeking involves a movement, I think about an investigative reporter who tries to find all the details about a story before its reported. I want to know everything so I can have a complete view. That’s what this seeking involves. But then he adds that there is a mindset that needs to exist with it where our minds are constantly moving toward that which is above. There’s a biblical term that describes this type of behavior, meditation. When David says in Psalm 1 that he meditates on the word of God day and night he’s exemplifying this.

Psalm 1:2 ESV

2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

These are fairly straightforward commands, but I don't want you to leave this morning unaware of how to fulfill these in your life. We can read clear and practical instruction in the Bible but it should always push us to answer the question, how can this become reality in my life?

I want you to see how Paul frames this, because he’s not advocating that our eyes simply be turned heavenward. He was fairly critical of the false teachers who were worshipping angels and relying on mysticism and visions. At the conclusion of this critique at the end of chapter 2 he begins here by saying this is what you should be focused on, Christ. Jesus needs to be the source of all your ambition and thought and striving. Why? because not only is he the one there, but he’s seated at the right hand of God. He’s in the place of lordship and rule, and he is our advocate to the Father.

The way to determine if you are fulfilling this command is fairly simple, is your life being lived to please Christ? There are a few common practices that Christians would consider essential in living your life toward Christ.

1. Read your Bible

The Bible is not simply a religious book. It’s the place to start when you truly want to know God. This was the way God chose to reveal himself to us, and we have plentiful copies of it. You have to read the Word.

2. Pray

You have to pray. There has to be communication to God. You may hear Christians talk about their quiet time or devotional time, or that’s maybe what you call it. Whatever you call it I think it’s vital that you have time set aside where your allowing God’s word to soak into your heart and where you are opening up your heart to God.

There are plenty of other things that are important in aligning yourself with Christ, corporate worship and fellowship, sacrificial giving and service. But let’s start here, you have to pray, and you have to open up your Bible.

At the end of verse 2 he gives the contrast to focusing on heavenly things. It’s focusing on earthly things. You and I are far more prone to this than we like to admit. But it’s easy to see why, the things of earth are visible. We like seeing things that are tangible. Often because f our desire for this we make things more complicated, I’ve gone through several different devotional books with my kids and have been searching for a new one that would be helpful for my family's stage of life and I’ve neglected the opportunity to just say, “hey for this season let’s just read the Bible together”.

Here’s what I was doing, and maybe you do this as well, I was looking for an earthly solution when really what I needed to do was look heavenward. Devotional books are good things, and I plan to use them as I disciple my family, but I don’t want to use them to point my focus and attention to God. I want my focus to be on Christ and allow him to shape everything else I’m seeing and experiencing. One of my main prayers as a pastor when I think about the congregation, when I lift you up in prayer, is not that you avoid the bad things, I think Christians understand how to stay away from the bad things, what we need to remember is to not allow the good things to replace Christ. Anytime a good thing takes a place that rightly belong to Christ it ceases to be good.

Here’s why Paul writes these commands, verse 3...

Colossians 3:3 ESV

3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

Paul emphasizes our need for a heavenly focus because that’s where our life is. This is not just the dwelling place of Christ, we are actually in Christ in heaven. We have died. Paul explain this in death in Romans 6:1-4

Romans 6:1–4 ESV

1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

Here’s the question I was wrestling with this week.. How can we possibly live our life if we’re instructed not to have an earthly focus. Are our children good gifts from God? Is our spouse a gift from God? Is friendship a gift from God? What about the beautiful artistry of creation as we see the snow covering the trees this week? Are not those things good? Why does Paul say we shouldn't set our minds on earthly things?

Here’s what I think he means… all the things we see and experience on earth carry with it the weight of sin. The only way we can experience what God desires of us in those relationships is by seeing them from his perspective. When we seek the things above and set our minds on things above God begins revealing the goodness of the things below. Our eyes need to go heavenward first for us to have a proper perspective.

He says our life is hidden with God. Try to grasp the significance of this statement. Before Christ we were slaves to sin. It’s all we were capable of. Then we come to know Christ and now we are dead to sin and raised to Christ. This new life that we have is in Christ, in heaven, hidden. It’s safe, it’s secure. So is it unattainable?

Here’s what Paul tells believers to do in Philippians 2:12-13

Philippians 2:12–13 ESV

12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

What does it mean to work out your salvation? It doesn’t mean that salvation requires works. It doesn’t mean that we earn more favor, or more love or more of God by simply working harder. I think what we can picture is our new life, resting in perfect glorify in the resurrection of Christ in heaven as we seek and think about the things of heaven we get a clearer picture of who God is. Aspects of our new resurrected life become more real and in those moments we are not working to achieve more of God but we are gaining more understand of who God is and who we are.

Paul then brings this to completion by talking about the return of Christ. When he comes you also will appear with him in glory.

I think these few verses are very matter of fact, and when something is so cut and dry I think we can leave feeling unworthy. feeling that we’ve fallen way short of the standard God expects of us, and I think this is why Paul writes a reminder of what is to come, the return of Christ is what should fill us with hope. It’s what should transition us from clinging to the things of the world to knowing how futile those things are in the realm of eternity.

So what are we to do?

Look heavenward.

Look to Christ. Whatever is good or bad or neutral in your life, stop focusing on those things and focus on Christ and he will begin shaping your perspective .

Time with God First Thing.

We talked about having time with the Lord. I personally don’t think it matters when you spend your bulk of time with the Lord. I think largely it fluctuates throughout your life. I’ve been hearing from people in their 30’s and 40’s all my life that you need to wake up early to have that time. Now that i’m in that season of life I understand that sentiment, my kids are up before the sun usually so early morning is the only quiet time there is in my house. So even though that’s what works for me I understand it doesn’t work for everyone, but, what you do need to get in the habit of doing is having some type of connection with God before you get started for the day. At some point after you wake up you need to connect with the Lord even if it’s as simple as asking him to direct the events of your day. Spending time in his presence first thing will help you jump into that mode throughout the day.

Recapture Free Time.

All of us have free time that we can capture so we can be redirected back to God’s presence. But this is sometimes the importance of establishing something as you start your day. Having something to be reminded of helps in those moments. Otherwise we’re spending all of our commute listening to podcasts or music. We’re playing games in the waiting room. Or checking emails while we’re standing in line. What if you began capturing those moments and started thinking heavenward? How could that impact your life?

As Christians, we are hidden with Christ in heaven. When you try to place or find your identity through anything or anyone who was created(anything that is on earth) your going to distort God’s intention. Allow your eyes to be firmly fixed on Christ in heaven and God will give you a proper perspective for everything in your life. He’ll give you new eyes to see what is good.