Connected #4 - "Connected to Jesus' Resurrection" (Colossians 3:1-4)

If you have a copy of god's word and I hope you do take it and turn with me to. Colossians chapter 2. Colossians chapter 2. Colossians chapter 2. We're going to begin reading in verse 20. Our text is actually going to be colossians 3 1 through 4.

But I want to read this passage in its context as we come to god's word and so. Colossians chapter 2 and verse 20. Page 1044 in the bibles that we give away. Colossians chapter 2 and verse 20. Colossians chapter 2 and verse 20.

Reading through to verse 4 of chapter 3. Once again, if you're able, can I invite you to stand with me out of respect for god's word as we come to the preaching.

Of it.

Colossians and Chapter 2 beginning in verse 20 brothers and sisters. These are god's words to us. If you died with christ to the elements of this world. Why do you live as if you still belonged to the world?

Why do you submit to regulations don't handle don't taste don't touch. All these things refer to what is destined to perish by being used up. They are human commands and doctrines. Although these have a reputation for wisdom by promoting self-made religion false humility and severe treatment of the body.

They are not of any value in curbing self-indulgence. So if you have been raised with christ. Seek the things above. Where christ is seated at the right hand of god. Set your minds on things above not on earthly things.

For you died. And your life is hidden with christ in god. When christ who is your life appears? Then you will also appear with him in Glory the grass withers and the flower fades, but the word of our god will remain forever.

Allow me to pray ask for god's help and we will Get to work in god's word this morning. Let's pray together Heavenly father. We ask that as we come before your word now. Simply that you would open our eyes that we would see wonderful things out of you.

As we consider the resurrection of jesus and its implications for our own life father. I ask that you would simply turn our eyes towards heaven. May we recognize All that has been done for us and may we live in light of that reality.

Fathers I pray for us. I pray for our friends just around the corner from us.

At.

Grace church of central point. Pastoral search. At the moment pray for their interim pastor pastor howard as he is. Preaching through first peter. At the moment pray that you help them in their search for a permanent pastor teacher there.

Help the congregation to remain united and remain steadfast even in this season of uncertainty. God we pray that your will would be done in and through that church. And that you would bless them. Pray that you would bless us now as we come to your word.

We ask all this in jesus name and for his sake. Amen. Please be seated. Well this morning, it's the end of a relatively short era. As we close the book on this teaching series that we've entitled connected finding joy in our union with christ by way of review we've been thinking about this teaching that Is known to christians as union with christ.

You remember the definition i've been using. It's on the study guide that's in front of you. That union with christ is the biblical truth that by faith God has joined us to jesus in his life death and resurrection.

So that all of the benefits of jesus's work for us become ours through the holy spirit. And that's been the definition that we've been working with for the last few weeks. And what we've been trying to do is to see how that truth.

That.

The believer has been joined by faith to jesus in his life death and resurrection and that all of his benefits become ours. We've been seeking to see how that truth Helps us to answer three important questions that all human beings have the question of identity just who am I question of purpose Why am I here?

And the question of destiny where am I? And to help us to answer those questions what we've been doing is if you look at that definition I talked about jesus life death and resurrection. Well, we've been looking at each of those.

Seeing how the benefits of jesus's life and death so far in our study how those Benefits become ours by faith and how they shape the way in which we view the world around us. If you want to catch up if you missed any of the series It's all up on our youtube channel encourage you to look for the playlist with the sermon series connected.

But this morning we complete the circle as it were we started with the Life of jesus. We thought about his death last week from romans chapter 6 and this morning Like I said, we complete the circle by thinking about our connection to jesus's resurrection.

I.

Think we can all agree that the resurrection of jesus was the ultimate proof that jesus was everything that he claimed.

To be.

That he was god's son that he is the only way to be saved that he is the king of kings and the lord of lords. The resurrection is not an option for the christian. It's Not the kind of thing that you can ignore.

I think we can all agree that The christian the christian has banked everything on the fact that not only did jesus die But jesus also rose.

In fact in.

Arguably the greatest chapter in the bible on the subject of the resurrection, uh, first christian chapter 15 paul is explicit when he says Verse 16, but if the dead are not raised. There were people in corinth who were teaching that there was no resurrection of the dead.

And so he says the dead are not raised. Not even christ has been raised. And if christ has not been raised. Your faith is worthless. And you are still in your sins. If christ has not been raised paul says.

He says your faith is worthless. And you are still in your sins. I think we can all agree that those are very high stakes. We we can't treat the resurrection as an option. Because if there was no resurrection of jesus.

Then everything in a very real sense becomes pointless. The resurrection matters. Well, and truly matters and our text this morning is one of many texts in the bible. There are quite a lot of them, but this is one of those texts.

That tell us why the resurrection matters. As I said we're in colossians chapter 3 this morning. Again, because we're kind of parachuting into passages. Um in this series I'm taking some time each week to kind of set the context up of the books that we're in.

You can sum up the letter to the colossians in two verses. Paul gives you his summary. In the letter itself. So we're in chapter 3 look up at chapter 2 for a moment. Chapter 2 and verses 6 and 7. Colossians chapter 2 and verses 6 and 7.

Colossians chapter 2 verses 6 and 7 paul says so then. Just as you received christ jesus as lord. Continue to walk in him. Being rooted and built up in him and established in the faith. Just as you were taught.

And overflowing with gratitude. Now that seems simple enough that seems nice. Warm and friendly and indeed it is but there's a reason why paul says that there's a backstory to this letter. Paul didn't start this church.

There were a number of churches that paul did start that he wrote letters to but colossians isn't one of them. We know that because in chapter 1 he talks about the fact that he had heard about their faith.

So he didn't have a direct hand in planting this church. But he did know some of the senior leaders of this church and word had gotten back to paul through these leaders. That some weirdness had crept into the church.

People had come along and they were teaching a teaching that was kind of a fusion of a number of things. Scholars and bible teachers refer to it as the colossian heresy. The reason why they call it that is because it's very unique to this letter.

It's not like other false teachings that you find in other new testament books. Easy way i've kind of taught myself to remember what's going on with that is to think of a palm tree. P-a-l-m. So the p stands for philosophy.

There was a element of greek philosophy that was tied into this teaching. There seemed to be an emphasis on so-called wisdom that you could only get by listening to these false teachers. A is for a rather long word asceticism.

All that means is There was an emphasis on abuse and deprival of the body that was thrown into this false teaching. You see that even in the text that we just read. But he talks about in verse 23 the severe Treatment of the body.

So you've got philosophy asceticism legalism. That's the l in the palm tree. It borrowed judaism ceremonies and calendar and the emphasis on circumcision. And m is mysticism all mysticism means is there was a bypassing of the emphasis on the truth and there was this weird sort of belief in angels and hyper spiritual experiences that drew one closer to god.

And so when you put those together p-a-l-m i'd say it's like having a weird palm tree growing in your garden and if it sounds like a mess of a teaching it's because. It was a mess of a teaching. Technical term that theologians use is this was a folk religion.

It wasn't one of the more standard religions of the day. It was kind of a mishmash of a bunch of beliefs. But regardless of what this teaching was, I think it's very apparent as you read this letter that this church needed help.

That this church needed to be reminded of some foundational truths. They needed help and paul was willing to do exactly that. But what's interesting is that paul's approach to dealing with the problems that this church had Is kind of interesting.

Paul doesn't just say well, you know what we can ignore this, you know, um, you know, leave it alone and it'll wear itself out. He doesn't do that He doesn't really enter into any sort of dialogue with it, he you know, he doesn't say, you know.

Help me understand how you why you feel that way.

You know.

Let's see if we can have some dialogue and find some common point. He doesn't do any of that. But what's probably most interesting is that paul doesn't do what he does in like the letter to the galatians.

Some of you who have been regulars our church. Remember we preached you galatians a few years ago. And if you remember in galatians paul was very systematic. He leaves no stone unturned In dealing with the full teaching there.

He doesn't really do that here. He doesn't take it apart piece by piece like paul being the master bible teacher that he was like he could. Paul doesn't do any of that. It's almost as though paul doesn't want to give this teaching center stage.

But what he does want to give center stage.

Is.

The lord jesus. And as you read this letter He reminds these precious christians that they didn't need what these religious hucksters if you will were offering. Because they already had everything they needed in.

Jesus.

And that's why I believe a number of commentators do that colossians 2 6 and 7 really summarize his purpose in this book. He's essentially saying to them guys the way you came to faith in jesus. Simple faith in the message of his death his burial and his resurrection.

Guys, the way you came to faith in jesus is the way you continue to grow in jesus. That you don't need something else. You don't need someone else.

That jesus.

Is.

Enough.

And so even in his treatment of this false teaching, uh, really that treatment begins all the way in chapter 2 verse 6. He devotes so much time to his teaching, but he doesn't really devote time to the teaching per se.

He'll touch on it. But his focus is to point to the lord. Jesus. And in the section that we read beginning in chapter 2 verse 20, he's dealing with the L part of that teaching the legalistic parts. The part that said, you know.

Here are these rules. If you keep these rules You'll have favor with god. And paul essentially says listen keeping the rules. Even the rules that god gave doesn't make you accepted before god. That only jesus can do that.

Only jesus is enough for the christian. He alone is the answer to everything. I like science fiction. There's a very famous science fiction series the hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy. If you know that um, the famous answer was the answer to everything.

42.

42.

No, I mean I enjoy that series but no the answer to everything is not 42 the answer to everything is jesus. Only jesus is enough for the christian and that's really the foundational truth that ties this book together.

As you come to chapter 3 Which is where our text is he kind of leaves the false teaching in the rearview mirror and what he seeks to do is to show How jesus is enough for the life of the christian. For the direction of the christian and I put it to you that really in this passage.

There is one foundational truth here. There's one foundational truth in our passage that I believe if you can get a handle on this. And I say this with no exaggeration. I think This might just change your life.

Again, it's foundational. And in fact, it's so simple and the danger is it's so simple. We often forget it. What's that foundational truth. Well, actually that's my big idea for this message this morning.

That foundational truth is this that the christian has a new perspective on life because jesus rose from the dead. The christian has a new perspective on life because jesus rose from the dead again, deceptively simple.

And yet just like these colossian christians the danger can be. That we forget that but god is gracious. He knows us. He knows that we are prone to forget things. And so he reminds us again and again and again and as we've been thinking about our connection to jesus.

What better place for us to land the plane of this series and to think about the fact that we have a new perspective on life. Because jesus rose from the dead for the rest of our time this morning. I want to consider Four dimensions to our resurrection life.

Four dimensions to our resurrection life. These are directions that dimensions. Excuse me I think that if you understand them properly. They should center our understanding as god's people of our identity our purpose and our destiny.

So four dimensions. I want us to consider with the time that we have. Can I begin by pointing your attention to first of all the reality of your risen life? If you're in christian, if you are a christian, excuse me.

There is the fact that your risen life is a reality. So if you read verse one, uh, it might sound the way it's written in english like there's some uncertainty here. Like paul's not sure about the people he's speaking to here.

So chapter 3 verse 1 it says so if you have been raised with christ. Again when we use the word if in the english language if is a conditional statement. You may not like grammar. I apologize allow me to do some basic grammar.

If there's a conditional statement, it's a statement that is it might be true. It might not be true. Generally in english. That's how that works in however, which is the language the bible is written in um.

If it's a little more complicated than that.

Again.

You don't like english grammar. You probably won't like greek grammar, but I apologize. For a moment, this is going to be important. If in the greek language can mean four different things i'll try and make this as simple as possible.

You can tell which is being used by the way. The sentence is put together. Technical term. How the sentence is constructed. So sometimes if can mean if. And it's true. So it's a condition of certainty.

Sometimes if can mean.

If.

But it's not true. So i'm posing as a hypothetical, but really this is not true. So you can have if it's true. If but it's not true. Thirdly, there's the way we typically use if where there's some conditionality to it.

So if. And more positively you probably will ever so tracking with me so far. Finally, there's if but it's not likely. Want to take a guess which one paul is using here in colossians 3 1. If you said the first one you are indeed, right?

In fact, you could translate it like this. Uh, so if you have been raised with christ and you have. But paul this isn't a question for the christian it's a matter of fact you have been raised with christ.

This is a definite reality for the christian. When you became a believer at that moment you went from being spiritually dead to being spiritually alive. In fact, that's language that paul uses elsewhere.

So in colloquia effusion, excuse me chapter two. After he talks about who we once were in verses one through three verse four. He says. But god who is rich in mercy because of his great love that he had for us.

Made us alive with christ. Jesus himself describes Salvation as a passing from death to life. So in john chapter five, he says truly I tell you john 5 24. He says truly I tell you anyone who hears my word and believes him who sends me has eternal life and will not come under judgment.

But has passed from death.

To life.

He goes on and says truly I tell you an hour is coming and is now here. When the dead will hear the voice of the son of god and those who hear will live. Jesus isn't talking about the future resurrection.

He'll do that in the next set of verses in john 5. Because notice what he says an hour is coming and is now here. When the dead will hear the voice of the son of god and those who hear will live he's talking about the spiritually dead.

That those who are spiritually dead will hear the voice of the son of god in the gospel message and those who hear will live. Faith i mean salvation is more than just saying a prayer. It's more than just believing a few well-arranged facts.

It's more than just going to church and being good. For goodness sake can I put it to you that Salvation is nothing less than a resurrection. That salvation is god taking a dead man or dead woman who was dead in their sin.

Not is it the princess bride where he says he's not dead. He's mostly dead. I forget I think it's that film or something. There's a film where someone says Well, there's no mostly dead about it. The sinner was truly dead.

But god takes that dead man and that dead woman and he breathes new spiritual life into them. We talk about dead man walking. But there's a real sense which the christian isn't a dead man walking. No, the christian isn't a dead man walking.

The christian is a dead man made alive. Jesus rose from the dead and we have been raised with him. For the believer life as we know it is life.

In.

Christ.

And so before we go anywhere else in this teaching this morning We have to start with the fact of the reality of our new risen life. If you are here today, then you're a christian. I mean this should make perfect sense if we take everything we've heard in this series.

It's true. So if we're connected to Jesus's life of obedience for us so that his righteousness is now our righteousness. And if we've been connected to jesus's death for us so that his death Leads to our death to sin that was last week's message in romans 6.

Well, if that is true, then of course it makes sense that we are connected to jesus's resurrection. He rose to new life and so have we. And so that's the first really the most basic dimension to your risen life.

If you're here today, and you know the lord jesus that you actually have resurrection life. That's your position if you're a christian. But knowing your position is rarely if ever the full story, isn't it?

It's not enough to just know your position. Position has to in the bible give birth to practice. Who you are shapes what you do. And that kind of leads us to dimension number two, so we thought about the reality of Risen life.

I want you to consider with me. Secondly the responsibility of your risen life the responsibility of your risen life. So paul doesn't just end there with things. So if you've been raised with christ and you have verse one.

So if you have been raised with christ seek the things above where christ is Seated at the right hand of god. It makes perfect sense. This is who we are then that should shape the way in which we live.

Since you've been raised with christ paul says here's the command seek the things above. Good question to ask at this moment. Well, just what are the things above? I think we can get a clue by reading this passage in its wider context.

So we're looking at verses one through four this morning. But let's look at the start of the next section look at verse five so verse five. Paul says therefore in light of the fact that you have resurrection life.

Put to death now the csb says what belongs to your earthly nature. In the original language, it literally means put to death what is on the earth. And what is he defined as the things that are on the earth?

Sexual immorality. Impurity. Lost evil desire and greed which is idolatry. What do all of those things have in common one, two, three, four five of them. What do they have in common? Well, they're all heart attitudes and desires.

Their heart attitudes and desires I put it to you. I think this fits. So when paul says we are to seek the things above. That he's talking about. Seeking the attitudes and desires that map with our new life in christ.

Whatever the attitudes and desires of this world are the things that are above are the opposite. Whatever the world tells you to do yet do the opposite. Or that let me double back not do the opposite pursue the opposite.

The christian's new life starts with new heart attitudes and new heart desires that are informed by heaven not influenced by the world around them. This same word seek is used by jesus in a verse that many of you probably know if you've been in church a long time.

Matthew 6 33. But seek first the kingdom of god seek same word. Seek the kingdom of god and his righteousness and all these things will be provided for you. This is what the christian pursues above all else.

As I was reading and preparing this week the word that came up Over and over and over again from different writers across traditions was the same word.

Preoccupation.

Preoccupation dictionary defines it as that which dominates or engrosses the mind of someone to the exclusion of other thoughts.

Does that sound kind of extreme to you?

Be honest. Does that maybe make you sound nervous? And as a christian I should.

Be preoccupied.

With the things above I don't want to presume that everyone who's here is either a believer or Fully understands all the implications of being a believer. It might make you nervous that might seem like a little much.

And just in case it does feel that way can I put a question to you that you might want to consider. What else is worthy of that kind of mental emotional and can I put it life space?

If.

Christ is Everything if christ is all. Doesn't it make perfect sense to be preoccupied with christ? I mean this is The things of life and eternity we're thinking about. I think preoccupation might be too little.

The word maybe. One writer I read this. We put it like this. The quote. To be preoccupied with heaven is to be preoccupied with the one who reigns there his purposes plans provision and power. It is also to view the things people and events of this world through his eyes and with an eternal perspective.

Christian your eyes ought to be firmly fixed on christ who is our ruling and reigning king. And yeah, of course, we're not going to do this perfectly. Let's not put a greater burden on ourselves than we should.

Yes, we will need the grace of god to be able to do this but might I suggest to you christian that.

Jesus.

And jesus alone Is worthy of being preoccupied with? I mean, it's not always easy. Let's let's not pretend that Talking about this on our sunday school hour this morning just the danger of distraction.

It's very easy for stuff to distract us. Than for us to keep our pursuit of god red hot and that is why god in his graciousness gives us reminders like this. In just in case you missed it the first time paul kind of doubles back verse two.

He says set your minds on things above not on earthly things. This term for setting your mind. It's literally to think about intensely. Some of you remember last summer we went through the letter of philippians.

And if you remember that word kept on coming up kept on coming up over and over and over again the word to think same word here. Can I put it to you that sometimes as christians we can get this backwards.

What I mean get this backwards. Well, we can start with saying. Okay. I need to do certain things as a christian. And we start there. My answer is that maybe you don't want to start there. That actually your Best your best course of action.

The best way to live out the responsibility of your risen life is actually to start by thinking about some things. Before you start thinking about what to do. Might I put it to you that this is an this is a matter of the mind.

Before it's a matter of action. Ultimately what paul is calling us here is to a singular focus as christians. But that begs the question how does the christian maintain. How does the christian get this kind of singular focus.

Well, I put it to you that the way the christian gets that Is through this word of god. Romans chapter 12 is one of those passages I come back to you often romans 12 where paul says, you know present your bodies as living sacrifices.

In the tradition I grew up and we always focused on that verse. I rarely ever heard that the second verse mentioned. Because in romans 12 2 paul doesn't just say. Present your bodies as a living sacrifice holy and pleasing to god.

This is your true worship. He says do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Was jb phillips new testament scholar who wrote a paraphrase of the new testament in the mid 20th century when he translated.

This verse.

Used an image that's kind of become just Household furniture in some circles. I think rightly so. When he said don't be conformed to this age. He said don't let the world squeeze you into its mold be transformed.

By the renewing of your mind the word for transformed is an interesting one it it's. The word that was used for what happened to a butterfly one of the books we read to well. We haven't read it in a while to him.

But one of the books we read to gareth often is some of you remember this from your childhood the very hungry caterpillar. If you remember that childhood story right at the end what happens after he eats a ton.

He buries himself in this cocoon. He's in there for two weeks and then out he comes as this butterfly. That process um, if you remember your science class metamorphosis. That's the word that's used here.

Don't let the world squeeze you into its mode instead. Let the word of god Transform you be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Why. Because you will either think what the world tells you to think.

Or you will think what the word tells you to think. Because if we're really honest, but we know this there's no neutrality. Is there? Either you are being squeezed into the world's mold. Or the word of god is shaping you more and more into the image of christ and so part of this responsibility in our your risen life is simply To fill your mind with the word of god.

It's only as you fill your mind with the word of god that you will know what heaven's priorities are. Now I can hear the objection kofi. This sounds like being so heavenly minded you are. No earthly good.

Kofi, this makes it sound as though we don't have a life outside of. Like church and the bible and stuff. First of all, I don't like that phrase. I'll just be 100 honest. I think it's one of the worst phrases ever.

Because and this is why I think it's one of the worst phrases ever the truly heavenly minded person Is actually in the position to be the most earthly good. Even in this very letter Paul is going to map out for us how the heavenly minded live in this world in Families and in jobs and in our public witness.

We don't have time to read it but start reading in chapter 3 verse 1 right through to chapter 4 verse 6. Chapter 3 verse 18, excuse me through to 4 6. He's going to spell out from chapter 3 verse 18 to 4 6.

This is how heavenly minded people live in this world. I put it to you that the only way to be any earthly good is not to be earthly minded but to have heaven's mind Firmly in sight so that it shapes the way in which you live.

And that's the second dimension of your resurrection life. If you're here today and you're a christian.

You.

There's the reality of your risen life. There's responsibility of your risen life and all of that comes out of third of all the roots of your risen life the roots of your risen life. So why should the christians seek the things that are above?

Why should the christians set their minds on things above? Well verse 3 gives us the answer for you died. And your life is hidden with christ in god. Before we talk about what paul says here. Can we notice what paul doesn't say?

Paul doesn't say. These are the rules of being a christian. Now quit whining be quiet and get on with it. Paul doesn't say this is what good christians do you. You want to be a good christian, right? Paul doesn't even say uh, this will make your life easier.

It will make life more pleasant. Folks will love you if you live like this. Paul doesn't appeal to any of that. Christians can sometimes appeal to that. So can I put it to you that that's probably not the best place to start.

And in some cases you really shouldn't say that.

Instead.

Paul plants this truth in the fertile soil of the gospel message. Remember what we saw last week in roman 6. The christian died. When christ died. We can't be reminded of that fact too often. We need to be regularly reminded of the fact that we died in christ.

That the old you the you that was marked by sin and rebellion and weakness that you is. And truly dead we can close the coffin on that boy. Instead we are now marked by and identified by life.

In.

Christ. And paul says for you died. And your life is hidden with christ in god.

Can you follow the logic here?

He says you are in christ and christ is in god. I can't help but think that paul is channeling and this I want you to see. Turn with me to john chapter 10. John chapter 10. I can't help but think that john has the words of jesus firmly in the back of his.

Not john. Paul has the words of jesus firmly in the back of his mind as he Writes these words. Because in john chapter 10, you see something very similar. So john chapter 10 jump down to verse 28 with me.

John chapter 10. Verse 28.

Jesus says I give them.

Who's them. Verse 27. His sheep? Believers. I give them eternal life And they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. My father who has given them to me is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the father's hand.

I and my father.

Are one.

Do you see the same flow the same similar logic here?

Why?

You as a christian have eternal life from christ. Christ describes that eternal life as being in his hand and he says no one can snatch you out of his hand. You cannot be taken out of the father's hand.

Why. Because you are not just in the. Um, excuse me, you're not just in christ's hand. Excuse me. You are in the father's hand. And since christ and the father are one not in personhood, but in purpose.

Cannot be lost. And I can't help but think that come back to colossians 3 with me. Paul is channeling that same thinking here to these christians so that when he says. You died. The you that you used to know dead and gone for the life you now have.

You have. Because it's hidden with christ in god, can you see how this would have some real world application for a christian? That you can have rock solid assurance. First of all of your salvation in christ.

Because think about this. Is jesus's place in the trinity up for grabs? Is he up for re-election? Uh, can he be uh impeached out of the trinity and replaced by someone else? Sounds ridiculous when you say it out loud, doesn't it?