Sermon Tone Analysis

THE DESIRE FOR GROWTH

I don’t think I can honestly say that I’ve met someone who has zero desire to grow, in some way, shape or form.

No matter how small your aspirations in life are, or how pointless you think life is in general, each and every one of us desires growth… progress… change for the “better”, however we choose to define “better”.

And, I don’t think I can honestly say that I’ve met somebody who hasn’t had a ton of trouble trying to grow, in some way, shape or form.

We go to the gym for a couple months and then our weight programs slowly turn into wait-for-the-next-episode programs… we start a plan to read a book a month and we finish that book a year later… making any kind of real change is hard!

And, as believers, we get the fact that this doesn’t change in the Christian life, but that doesn’t make it any less frustrating, right?

We understand that Paul told us about the battle between the old man and the new man in … We understand that we need to be transformed by the renewing of our minds from … and we conclude that a large part of the Christian life is battling for spiritual growth.

So from what we know in Scripture, we conclude (and rightfully so), that the Christian life is about direction, not perfection… direction, not perfection.

And naturally, we understand that direction in life is forwards or backwards.

But on a practical level, if we’re honest, we tend to include a third category when it comes to this idea of spiritual direction: plateauing, or stagnancy.

But where do we get this idea of spiritual stagnancy, or plateauing?

Is there really such a thing in the Bible?

Or is it something that sounds like it’s in the Bible?

I want to posit tonight that there is no such thing as spiritual stagnancy.

Yes, the Christian life is about direction, not perfection.

But I want to add on one more aspect to that tonight: Spiritual direction is about progression, not regression.

And over the next few months, the apostle Paul is going to teach us all about this in .

Tonight, we’re going to look at two principles that govern spiritual progression from the beginning of the chapter.

So, in , Paul is going to show the Colossians two steps to securing spiritual growth: we must strive for the things above, and set our minds on the things above.

Follow along as I read.

CONTEXT

So far, we’ve followed Paul through the first two sections of his letter to the church in Colossae.

First, from chapter 1, verses 3-23, we saw Paul lay out the wisdom of the true gospel.

Then, from verse 24 to chapter 2, verse 23, we saw Paul unfold the folly of a false gospel.

Now, from chapter 3 on, we will see Paul reveal what the fruit of the true gospel is.

Verses 1-4 come right on the heels of 2:20-23, where Paul exposed the false teacher for who he was and what he stood for: a phony who was desperately searching for any solution to his sin problem outside of Christ.

Now, in contrast, Paul turns the letter on its head starting in verse 1 and begins to exhort the Colossians from here through the rest of the letter.

His exhortation?

If you’ve actually died with Christ and rose with Him, then seek the things of Christ and set your mind on the things of Christ.

Under this passage, the rest of the letter flows as Paul lays out every facet of life that is transformed by seeking the things of Christ and setting your mind on the things of Christ.

Basically, Paul’s main point in was to exhort the Colossians to prove their possession of saving faith by pursuing a transformed walk of life and a transformed thought life.

STRIVE FOR THE THINGS ABOVE ()

Keep that in mind as we go back to the text.

Here in verse 1, we find the first step for securing spiritual growth: striving for the things above… striving for the things above.

Look at what it says:

Notice Paul’s first words here...

“If you have been raised with Christ...”

Remember what Paul said back at the beginning of verse 20 back in chapter 2?

“If you have died with Christ...”

Understand that this repetition is purposeful.

Paul’s highlighting the two realities of salvation!

All believers have died with Christ, which is why he asked the Colossians why they were submitting to wordly rules if they died to those rules with Christ.

But at the same time, all believers have also been raised with Christ.

The only difference is this: Paul isn’t asking any more questions, but giving directions… giving directions.

So essentially, with this wording here, Paul is raising a challenge to the Colossians, before they even attempt to obey his commands: “Have you been raised with Christ?”

Last week, we looked at this from the other side of the train tracks: “If you’ve really died with Christ, then why would your life look just like the people of the world?”

Now, the question is this: “If you’ve really been raised with Christ, then why wouldn’t your life look just like His?”

Paul said these words to confront the Colossians about their theology!

They were being tempted to believe that you can boast of faith in Christ without bearing fruit in Christ.

The problem is that the two are one in the same!

But what about our theology?

Do we do any better in this arena of life?

On paper, we may say we believe that fruit is proof of faith, but on a practical level, do we live that way?

Often, we make excuses for why we’re not bearing fruit, or why those close to us aren’t bearing any fruit.

But the thing is, we are all always bearing fruit.

The question is this: as a pattern of your life, do you produce good fruit or bad fruit?

The answer to that can help us know objectively whether we have been raised with Christ or not.

“We’re against liberals in this church!”

“We’re against gun regulation in this town!”

Why? Look at what Paul says in the next part of verse 1...

We’re against abortion around here!”

“… keep seeking the things above...”

All of which, in the right context, can be good things!

But it’s a lot easier to make bold statements about what we stand against.

How do we do when it’s time to stand our ground on what we stand for?

Understand this idea of “seeking” as a devoted effort to achieve a desire or objective.

A better way to translate it may be “strive for”.

Basically, Paul is asking the Colossians here, “Have you been raised with Christ?

If so, then strive for the things above.”

Paul’s command here to “keep seeking the things above” is not a one time deal, or a once a month deal, but a lifelong commitment!

The verb “keep seeking”, or “strive for”, is an active imperative in the present tense.

What does that even mean?

Devote serious effort now and keep devoting serious effort in the future to obtaining the things above!

But, in order to do that, it’d be kind of helpful to figure out what exactly “the things of above” are.

So what are “the things above”?

Simply put, the things of heaven.

When they read this, the Colossians would have been immediately challenged to evaluate their worldview and what they spent their time on.

Why?

Because in Ancient Rome, the things of heaven were completely countercultural to the things of the world.

In order to truly heed this command and “strive for the things above”, it would cost the Colossians everything.

False teachers were abound.

False religion was abound.

An oppressive government regime was abound.

However… However, Paul’s hope was for them to see, and us by extension, that if we have died with Christ and have risen with Him, then the proof of it will be a lifestyle that looks vastly different from the lifestyle of those in the world, especially in the evil age the Colossians lived in and the evil age we ourselves live in now.

But that’s our tension, isn’t it, friends?

If we really strive for the things of heaven, then we will inevitably be separated and severed from the world in quick order.

First and foremost, we need to consider the cost of seeking the things of heaven… consider the cost of seeking the things of heaven.

Are we ready for that though?

In , Jesus tells His disciples to count the cost of following after Him.

Beloved, before we even attempt to seek the things of heaven, we have to seriously think through whether or not we are willing to face the consequences of that pursuit.

Listen to Jesus’ words in -

But, the reward is so very worth it.

says so.

And not only do we need to consider the cost of seeking the things of heaven, we need to correctly identify the things of heaven… correctly identify the things of heaven.

What are the things of heaven, or “the things above”?

The things of God!

The things of Christ!

The things of the Lord!

So, from this, we can draw out a whole host of implications.

Are we really seeking the things above?