welshie's wanderings

WORD ALIVE 2006 - Skegness. Evening 4 - Roger Carswell

Colossians 3:1-17


We're bombarded with the attitude that we can do things our way, as we like. Paul says - NO!
Imagine the man writing this. Saul of Tarsus, great academic, philosopher, linguist etc...and a devout Pharisee.

But on the road to Damascus Saul is transformed. The old has gone, everything has become new. And now he says to the Colossians, if you are a Christian then this should be your experience in Christ.

A passage of sustained exultation for those in Christ.

Why did Jesus die and rise again? Romans 14:9

So if we have been raised with Christ then surely we want to seek the things above.

1. Seek the things above.
Set your MIND on these things.
Why?JESUS IS RISEN!

One day everything will be gone- and yet such huge pressure to conform. To be worried about the things the world worries about etc...

And yet WHY when we have Christ?

Priorities in life - getting to know God should be paramount and a pleasure, as well as a priority.

We are dead to sin.

Our life is hidden in Christ.

My body is the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. The world can't see that.

Christ is everything.

This world is all temporary, life has more significance than that.

2. Slay the things on earth.
verse 5 - five sins to do with lust and greed. Ruthlessness against sin. Be careful about the books you read, films you watch, etc...

Wolves killing eskimoes! (or, put rightly, eskimoes killing wolves!)

It's not so much what we give that counts, it's what we keep. Oh to give in the name of Jesus. And give, and give...

3. Put off the old self.
Caterpillar to butterfly. Verse 8- Put off, put on.

Godly discipline. Allowing Christ to be in us, work in us.

"A person may be dedicated but if ill-disciplined, useless." - Hudson Taylor.
Christian life - cultivating what we DO have in Christ and becoming more like Jesus.

Anger - talk about God being angry. But anger is an outcome of our nature. With us, it's sinful. God is Holy, therefore His anger is righteous.

Is it kind, is it true, is it necessary?

4. Put on the new self.
Verse 12 - "Therefore" - learn to say this! I am dead in Christ, therefore I say 'no' to that. I am raised with Christ, therefore I say 'yes' to this.

Beautiful words in Verses 12-13.

Christ is all and is in all.

Verse 9 - Do not lie
Verse 13 - Bear with each other
Verse 16 - Teach and admonish

Verses 14-17 - HOW to live like this.
4 verses, 4 instructions.
1. Love one another.
2. Let the peace of Christ rule our hearts
3. Let the word of Christ dwell in you
4. Do all in the name of Jesus

Ephesians 5:18 . Be filled with the Spirit, and then same list as in Colossians 3:16. Word of God and Spirit of God work together to produce the same Spiritual fruit.

Word fills our mind, Spirit fills our lives, and then we seek to live as we should.

Matthew Henry - robbed by a highwayman and yet thankful! Why? -

1. Never been robbed before
2. Took everything, but not his life
3. Although they took everything, it wasn't much in the first place
4. He was robbed, not the one who did the robbing

SET YOUR MINDS

ON THINGS ABOVE!!

Let God deal with sin.

Let Him change you.

Die to old things.

Christian life is a series of new beginnings.

Look to Jesus to fill you afresh.

posted by Welshie @ 12:15 pm