This is the last in this series of the Holy Spirit's coming to the Church
If Ye Then Be Risen
Colossians 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affectiona on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.[1]
I. Seek
A. Above
B. Alive
II. Set
A. Mind
B. Matter
III. Settle
A. Satisfied
B. Sanctified
Introduction: We have been considering the role of the Holy Spirit for the past several weeks. Jesus told the disciples that they were to wait for The Holy Spirit after His ascension back to heaven, and He would lead them and enable them for what our mission is here and now.
Jesus didn’t take the believers with Him when He left. If Jesus’ sole purpose was to save us, then He could have taken us when He left but He didn’t. He left us here. Why did He leave us here? He left us here to perform that which He had for us to do here but He didn’t leave us here alone.
After several years, people do get restless. After several times of watching and wondering if these signs are the last signs and we are still here, it is easy to understand how people feel disappointed. It is easy to see why people think they have lost their appointment after the time they expected the appointment to be has gone by and that person you had the appointment with hasn’t shown up yet.
We still have that appointment and we still have God The Holy Spirit with us and He is still witnessing through us. That is unless you have decided to break the appointment. He promised that He would not break the appointment and the only way to really break the appointment is to call The Holy Spirit a liar. The One He left with us to give witness to the world. I didn’t say that, Jesus said that.
The people in the church at Colossi were getting anxious. Paul wrote them a letter because he heard of their distress. After all these times of staying here watching preacher after preacher leave; after watching this group of faithful few wonder what’s next, Paul’s letter serves as a reminder of what to do so that we do not lose hope even here who are Merry Oaks Baptist Church.
If you truly have hope, there really is no way to lose hope. You see, hope is that which you know beyond a shadow of doubt that you will receive; that which was promised. Hope is that which you know through faith alone that you will receive one day when He is ready, when it is His time, done only in His speed. So what do we do in the mean time?
Scripture: The scripture is Colossians 3:1-3. When you have found it please rise to your feet for the reading of God’s written word.
Prayer: Please be seated
Message: This letter from the apostle Paul to the believers in Colossi was to encourage them because some who were leading the others had lost their joy. They had heard all these things from years past and now they were still waiting for Jesus to come back. Maybe they were like those who followed Jesus while He was alive who really didn’t have a relationship with Him. They only knew a messiah who they expected to reestablish their kingdom. Notice their kingdom? They were not so much about Jesus establishing His kingdom, His Father’s kingdom. They wanted things to be like they wanted things to be.
Those at Colossi were confused or maybe they decided to confuse themselves. In any event, they decided that getting things back to their normal was better than patiently waiting and going the way that the Holy Spirit was leading. They decided to eat the right stuff, honor the right days, perform the right rituals, in others words not leave it up to God and follow the Holy Spirit’s lead. They decided that the only way to get it right was to do what they had done in the past and what they had been told by others who were not there anymore. It didn’t work so let’s try it again! The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results. Insanity!
Paul was beside himself. Why are you going back to what didn’t work before? You said you were dead to that. If you are indeed risen with Christ, stop doing those things that don’t work; those thing that drives others away. Seek that which is above, not here on earth! Not the physical things that won’t last! Christ is there on the right side of His Father where He told you He was going. He is alive!
Set you affection on things above. That word affection is closer in the Greek to saying get your mind right. Things that distract and take your mind off the prize are always there. There’s nothing anyone can do about that I suppose. If I could turn minds I would. God can change minds but He won’t.
He doesn’t always remove the distractions either. He leaves them there to toughen your resolve that He alone is worth it all. You have to set your mind on that which will not adversely affect your relationship with Him. He will not do it. He wants you to be so focused on Him that nobody can tell you when to or when not to speak with Him. It is the closest personal relationship that anyone can have.
It is the relationship between your redeemer and yourself. Ruth knew that and she was just a girl. Just a girl! Don’t ever let any fool man persuade you into thinking that! If you’re a man or a boy, you are His. If you are a woman or a girl, you are His. The affection that Christ has for you is the greatest affection that you will ever know. Let nobody distract you from that. We have had people to die for freedom in this nation because God wants that affection to matter more than any other affection.
Settle that in your mind once and for all. Settle that in your mind! Your relationship with your redeemer is what matters most in this world and the next. If you are indeed a Christian, you died to sin. You died to this life and now Christ has hidden your old life in God. Yes that old life was but now is no more. You are a new creation. The debt has been satisfied, it is settled. Sanctified, holy, consecrated, blessed, dedicated; this doesn’t sound like something that is still grounded in what you can do because you can’t do it. If you are really dead and your life is really hidden with Christ in God, it is only because of what He has done and is still doing.
Focus your mind not on things of this earth. Seek Jesus and you will find Him sitting there at the right side of God. Set your mind not on things or those around you that distract you from your main affection. You are dead you say? Then let the grave settle around that which is no more and live for Jesus. That old life is dead and buried if you are truly a Christian. Why are you hanging on to the past and doing the things that didn’t work in that old life.
Look at verse four, “When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.” [2] So don’t lose heart and don’t lose that attraction and for heaven’s sake let nobody steal your joy no matter how focused they are on things that are temporary. When Christ appears in glory those of us who rely solely on Him will appear with Him in glory. Let no other affection affect you against that truth.
What else is worth that truth? Absolutely nothing that I can do and nothing that you can do but with Jesus, Paul learned through all of his trials in the letter we find before this one to the Philippians, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” [3]
So let them try to distract you. Let them attempt to affect your joy. Let them keep saying no while you continue to say yes to Jesus. Let Satan throw his darts at you by using those who will not submit to the Holy Spirit’s leading. Let Jesus teach you to love as others mock and work against you. It will be all worth it that day when we stand with Him. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.
Prayer:
Invitation: Are you still thinking that this is a test to see “who’s winning, the goods or the bads?” Do you still think that it is about you and that God is there only when you need Him and not the other way around?
I have news for you if you believe that; God is always there and Jesus is right there beside Him. And He is not there so that you can decide to use Him when you need Him. He is there always and He is waiting for you to decide to be used for His purpose. His purpose for us is the harvest. He planted, you didn’t. He prepared the soil, you didn’t. It is His harvest and He expects you to invite all who will to come to His harvest celebration. Do you want to do that? Then He will guide you.
Have you got anything else in mind? Is your affection towards that which you expect that you can do, what you intend to do, and against that which you won’t accept that He has placed before you? Then He will let you do what you want to do and you will be alone in it.
Man that’s hard! It doesn’t have to be. What and who are you seeking? Is your mind set on what you want? Have you settled for this life or are you ready to really live for Him. Please don’t let that door slam shut today without settling this in your mind. Respond as we sing…
a affection: or, mind
[1] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (1995). (electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version., Col 3:1–3). Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
[2] ibid., Col 3:4). Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
[3] ibid., Php 4:13). Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
