The new You!

For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead. You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross. (2:12-15)

13 You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. 14 He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. 15 In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross. (2:12-15)

Dead with Christ, because of your sin

Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.(2:12)

Dead with Christ, because of your sin

Brought to life with Christ, because your sins where forgiven through the victory of Christ on the cross.

Who is this for? (3:1)

Those raised with Christ | Believers

How do we put on the New life we are given?

Points

Shopping for your new self (3:1-4)

Why?

You are new in Christ

The old is gone the new has come

The thought of setting your sights on the on the realities of Heaven is a present imperative which means it is a command for today. We are asked to take action by seeking things that are above. This can be seen as Paul puts it, pressing on towards the prize ().

We are asked to move from our old ways that caused death to the new life that we have found in our faith in Christ.

Jesus and Nicodemus | John 3:

The new has come |

We are made new in Christ Jesus In we who belive are called Children of God.

New Living Translation Chapter 1

But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.

Once you were found to be outside of the will of God because you had not yet realized your direction, now as children of God made new in Christ, you are given a new self that is supposed to emulate the heart of Christ. You are no longer a citizen of this world.

Illustration:

Identity has become a big thing in our culture in North America today. We have become quite absorbed with image and self definition. We can often be defined by what we do, how we look, external elements rather than who we actually are.

What Paul is saying to us here is that we don’t have to be judged by our externals, or even what we accomplish. Paul is is telling us to focus our attention on the things of Heaven. What is our example of this, Jesus. When he was on earth we were given an example of someone who kept his focus on Heaven by connecting Himself to the Father.

Our dilemma:

This world is very distracting, to put this into perspective we are exposed to 5000 ads per day. That’s not to say these ads are all heard but it is to say that we are exposed to them. Just like ads are being thrown in our faces, we re also being send many differing points of view on how we should spend our time, effort and energy. With this in mind the world is clamoring to keep us focused on ourselves and our needs, disregarding the needs of other people. Not only that, the things that the world is selling us can often lead us in a direction further from God’s will.

Final look:

With all that in mind, Jesus is still calling us to keep our focus on the Fathers will for our lives. Christ died to self and put on selflessness in order to put us back into right standing with God. As those that have accepted Christ, we have experienced His redeeming love. And armed with the love we have the hope of the future glory that is living in wholeness with the creator.

Application: Find our alone time with Him.

My recent connection with a young adult...

Have a date with God.

Check your heart.

Let your mind and heart catch up with your body.

Taking off the old self, sin (3:5-11)

What is this

Explanation:

Three types of fleshly destruction are given in these verses. sensualism, Pride, Brotherly division (). With each of these attitudes we see destruction.

Your old self was constricted by these behaviors and it is interesting that Paul uses the idea of clothing to discribe these these things. First because they are chains, uses to confine us.

The chains of senualism are a poison that will change our mind and deceive our hearts. Each one of the desires here are ones that we hear about in . They deceive the mind and desensitize the heart. Paul is telling us to not just take of these things but put them to death.

Why...

Because of what they do to our hearts

Illustration: Burn those nasty shoes OR Valuable chains

In my relationship with my wife, I have come to realize that I care slightly less what my clothes look like compared with my wife. In most cases I will keep clothes for far too long which begin to fall apart. Those clothes, when found out, will be ripped up and made into washing rags. Now this isn’t the case with Paul’s articles of clothing here. What Paul is talking about here is the pair of shoes that you accidently wore in the rain for a bit too long and you did realize the odour that ensued. These articles of clothing stink up your world until you reralize that they are doing this and then you burn/trash them. They are never to be seen again.

These items that you used to be wearing weren’t necessary clothes but chains. Clothing is their to protect to from the elements of the great outdoors, to keep you from being arrested due to another type of exposure. But the things we wear when we are walking without Christ are chains. They are able to be taken on and off and have no true value to them. Not only that but we find value when wearing them, but the truth is they are stealing from us. Paul asks us to do one simple thing with this type of wears, burn them. Put them to death is such a way that they can never return.

Yes we might have found value in these things, but now that we have Christ we have hope. We have no need for these such things.

Also they are things that anger God, and as those that love God we are not in the place where we want to do this.

Taking a second look through the text. what do these things hinder us in? (verses 5-9)

sensualism | Pride | Brotherly division

polluting our minds and hearts | Sensualism (5a)

Self seeking and world valuing | Pride and idolatry (5b)

Dividing us in our pursuit of unity | brotherly division (8-9)

Application:

If these these things exist in your life today, it’s time for a purging of these things. (matthew 5:30)

If your hand or eye cases you to sin remove them.

In youth setting doing purge nights...

Transition (hangout in verses 10-11)

Now instead we put on the new nature… How, Learn to know your creator.

Christ said to cast your cares upon Him, take His yoke which is easy and burden which is light.

I am amazed at the gentleness of God.

Full of conviction, void of judgement...

Wearing the new you in Christ, Love (3:12-17)

God has revealed to you His plan/heart/purpose of salvation. Therefore, He isn’t asking us to do the next step, He’s telling us to do the next step. “you must”, shows us that God not only requires it, but also provides us with an example to follow in doing these things. In verse 13, Paul reminds us of the forgiveness of God. If we have truly interacted with the Loving forgiveness of God our reaction is to do the same.

The unmerciful servant |

What makes this character?

Tenderhearted mercy | Kindness | Humility | Gentleness | Patience

Love | which binds us all together

Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers. (v.12)

Illustration: Wearing the stuff that will help not only ourselves but others.

Debate: The puppy of Grace

These attributes are a litmus test of our hearts. They indicate the work of Christ on our lives. The grace given to us is a gift, as we all know gifts can be refused. But who would not accept a free gift? Well this gift will change your life and sometimes those gifts are a bit more challenging to accept, you have to way the cost of the gift of grace.

Like someone giving you a puppy...

Yes, low impact gifts are easy to accept and are rarely not accepted, but grace is something completely different. Grace like a puppy impact your home, your vacation schedule, your budget, your life choices. Like a puppy grace can make your life better and more fulfilling. But on the otherside of the coin, it will also remind you of your shorty comings, which can help you to grow or make you bitter.

Final explanation:

Paul is tells us like he tells the Christians in Colossae, put on the new life that you have been given. It is meant to draw outsiders to Christ and insiders together. Christ is our example He has done all of these things for us, now we are to go and show with our lives the example He set before us.

We are called to give our hearts to others rather than keeping it for ourselves. Meaning, to care more for others and to provide for we over me.

The new You!

The New You!

Intro: What is different about you?

Colossians 3:1-11

Background of Paul’s Letter to the Colossians

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The point:

Because of our death and life in Christ we can put on the NEW