Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro

This NT letter we are studying together was written to a group of people who had found life and hope and love in the message of the Gospel!

The Gospel is the good news that Jesus saves!

we don’t save ourselves… that life, and love, and hope are found IN Jesus – IN Him WE HAVE LIFE — We were made by him and for him… he is God in the flesh, he is at the center of God’s plan, he literally holds everything together and he is bringing all of creation to a glorious conclusion… To receive the Gospel is to Receive JESUS…

So The message of Colossians begins by pointing to Jesus and reminding the church of what they have in IN Christ!

If we are in Christ - it means That:

1) Jesus is our Head – He is our authority, He is the dynamic source of our direction and strength.

2) We are his Body – He indwells his people and unites us together into one family ‘Christ In you the hope of glory”

3) We’ve been given a whole new life to live - Paul is insisting we grow up and mature in this new life - keep living by the Principles of Christ - rejecting other ways of life - because it is as we continue to live in His way of life that we more fully get to know Him and Trust his word.

You can’t separate Jesus from his teaching his commands … He is the way the truth and the life… It is as we join him in living his way of life that we more fully get to know him and grasp the truth of his word.

We are to grow up and live the life he’s given us Paul is insisting we grow up in the faith - keep living by the Principles of Christ - rejecting other ways of life - because it is as we continue to join him in his way of life that we more fully get to know him and trust his word.

So in Chapter 3 Paul starts getting practical - instructions about living by the principles of Christ

READ ch3 - 4:1

Moralism, is what most people outside the church think Christianity is: rules, standards, behavior, cleaning yourself up.

It’s primarily about behaving better.

And passages like this seem to confirm that kind of thinking.

Often when we teach sections of scripture like this, that have lots of practical instructions about how we are to live, we tend to focus primarily on behavior… The instructions here involve behavior but our external behavior is not the primary focus...

But to understand the scriptures we must pay attention not only to what they are saying but also how its said… This letter doesn’t start with US — it starts with JESUS.

Paul starts with the GOSPEL - Who Jesus is and what he’s done --- Jesus is already our head, We are already his body, he has already made us alive!!!

To understand the scriptures we must pay attention not only to what they are saying but also how its said… This letter doesn’t start with US — it starts with JESUS.

Paul starts with the GOSPEL - Who Jesus is and what he’s done --- Jesus is already our head, We are already his body, he has already made us alive!!!

The practcical implications that follow in chapter 3 HINGE on the first 4 verses ---

We learn from the scriptures not just from what is says but how it says it… Paul Starts with what JESUS - - not us.

He starts with the GOSPEL - Who Jesus is and what he’s done ---

To see this we must consider carefully The first 4 verses - HINGE between the first and second halves of this letter — Remember This letter starts with the GOSPEL - Who Jesus is and what he’s done --- and look at how he begins this section…

The practcical implications that follow in chapter 3 HINGE on the first 4 verses ---

But to understand the scriptures we must pay attention not only to what they are saying but also how its said… This letter doesn’t start with US — it starts with JESUS.

Paul starts with the GOSPEL - Who Jesus is and what he’s done --- Jesus is already our head, We are already his body, he has already made us alive!!!

… what is the focus??

To seek the things that are above, To set our minds on things above?

As soon as we talk about living life, about how we are supposed to live… Our natural tendency is to focus primarily on ourselves, our obedience (or disobedience), on our performance (good or bad), on our holiness....

But living by the principles of Christ involves focusing on things above?

seeking Heaven – why heaven?

That’s where Jesus is?

Your life is hidden with Christ (it’s like you are already in the presence of God), one day the reality of this will be made clear when he returns...Christ is your life,

YOU HAVE BEEN RAISED WITH CHRIST: Let’s be clear living by the principles of Christ isn’t some way to earn God’s favor or forgiveness - This is about living the life believers already have IN CHRIST

YOU HAVE DIED: Its like you’ve already died because the rules and principles you used to live by - Consciously or Unconsciously - no longer fit! - you are part of a whole new existence IN CHRIST

This is what it means to be “in (union with) Christ”: it is to share his death, burial, and resurrection, his glorious position at God’s right side, and his final coming in power.

LIKE WE ARE CRAZY GLUED TO JESUS - our spiritual life and our density are determined by CHRISTS work, his activity - the things he has done, is doing in us, and will do in the future…

This is what it means to be “in (union with) Christ”: it is to share his death, burial, and resurrection, his glorious position at God’s right side, and his final coming in power.

LIKE WE ARE CRAZY GLUED TO JESUS - our spiritual life and our density are determined by CHRISTS work, his activity - the things he has done, is doing in us, and will do in the future…

This is what it means to be “in (union with) Christ”: it is to share his death, burial, and resurrection, his glorious position at God’s right side, and his final coming in power.

LIKE WE ARE CRAZY GLUED TO JESUS - our spiritual life and our density are determined by CHRISTS work, his activity - the things he has done, is doing in us, and will do in the future…

Seek — set your mind = internal focus of your life - that your heart and mind is focused on CHRIST .

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

So The primary focus of this whole section is not EXTERNAL BEHAVIOR but on the INTERNAL Seek — set your mind = internal focus of your life - that your heart and mind is focused on CHRIST .

So The primary focus of this whole section is not EXTERNAL BEHAVIOR but on the INTERNAL

Living by the principles of Christ - is not about setting the gospel aside and focusing now on our behavior - it is about focusing more and more on the GOOD NEWS.. that JESUS SAVES

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

But as soon as we talk about living life, about how we are supposed to live… Our natural tendency is to focus primarily on ourselves, our obedience (or disobedience), on our performance (good or bad), on our holiness....

Seek — set your mind = internal focus of your life - focus on Christ.

Talking about the attitude of our hearts - internal stuff

This is what it means to be “in (union with) Christ”: it is to share his death, burial, and resurrection, his glorious position at God’s right side, and his final coming in power.

Thus the Colossians’ spiritual life and destiny are determined by the whole of Christ’s activity.

It is the internal focus of your heart and mind that shapes and produces your behavior… Sin is primarily a heart issue - not a behavior issue.

Behavior follows what our hearts and minds are focused on…

Jesus is already our head, We are already his body, he has already made us alive!!!

Our natural tendency is to focus on ourselves, our obedience (or disobedience), on our performance (good or bad), on our holiness ::: That kind of focus turns the good news into a humanistic program of self-improvement…

Our natural tendency is to focus on ourselves, our obedience (or disobedience), on our performance (good or bad), on our holiness ::: Focusing primarily on behavior quickly turns the good news into a humanistic program of self-improvement…and that’s bad news.

There is no power in self-effort.

No hope in self-effort.

No peace in self-effort.

To set our minds on things above?

Heaven – why heaven?

That’s where Jesus is?

Your life is hidden with Christ (it’s like you are already in the presence of God), Christ is your life,

Sin is primarily a heart issue - not a behavior issue.

Behavior follows what our hearts and minds are focused on…

Setting your mind =

Sin is primarily a heart issue - not a behavior issue.

Behavior follows what our hearts and minds are focused on…

Example: of Focusing on a new Cell Phone?

it is really the heart behind the behavior SIN

Christian growth doesn’t happen by first behaving better, but by believing better.

Believing in bigger and brighter ways what Jesus has already secured for us.

Our work is more about coming to a greater understanding of his work, and our hearts becoming captivated by who he is, what he’s done, and what he’s doing.

-- Which Paul refers to as “Idolatry”

If God gets in the way of what we think we really need to be happy and free, then we ignore him - consciously or unconsciously - hoping he will leave us alone.

When this happens we are effectively saying in our hearts - that whatever it is we are pursuing - is better than JESUS - more significant, more powerful, more satisfying to me than Jesus.

Christian growth doesn’t happen by first behaving better, but by believing better.

Believing in bigger and brighter ways what Jesus has already secured for sinners.

Our effort is more about coming to a greater understanding of his work, and our hearts becoming captivated by who he is, what he’s done, and what he’s doing.

And at the same time your behavior can influence and shape your thinking...

The Principles of Christ are not something added in addition to the Gospel – are not something we do on top of believing in Jesus – they are simply the practical expression of a heart and mind that is focused on Christ.

He’s talking about a progressive letting go of all the things we’ve looked to and sought after to make our lives worth living, and grabbing hold of Jesus letting the gospel shape every area of our lives.

The Principles of Chrsit are not something added in addition to the Gospel – are not something we do on top of believing in Jesus – they are simply the practical expression of a heart and mind that is focused on Christ.

Renewing your mind - internal mindset - how you think and view things…Christ is to be heart and mind…

Put to death therefore what is earthly in you

you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience

becoming saturated in this new way of thinking and living by 'the word of Christ', instructing each other in it, even singing and making art about it (3:1-4:1).

Our natural tendency is to focus on ourselves, our obedience (or disobedience), on our performance (good or bad), on our holiness ::: Instead of Christ, and his obedience, his performance, his holiness for us!

We end up turning the good news into a narcissistic program of self-improvement…

Our natural tendency is to focus on ourselves, our obedience (or disobedience), on our performance (good or bad), on our holiness ::: Instead of Christ, and his obedience, his performance, his holiness for us!

We end up turning the good news into a narcissistic program of self-improvement…

“Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

- In heaven Gods will is carried out willingly and fully -

“Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

- In heaven Gods will is carried out willingly and fully -

BY calling them to focus their minds (internal focus) on Christ, by being renewed in their knowledge of God (understanding the commands of Christ from every angle) as they put to death their old ways and put into practice their new life, placing themselves and their families under the leadership and authority of Jesus, becoming saturated in this new way of thinking and living by 'the word of Christ', instructing each other in it, even singing and making art about it (3:1-4:1).

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

That is, concentrate your concern on the eternal, not the temporal.