Raised Up With Christ
Colossians Series #10
Raised Up With Christ
By Bill Denton
Introduction
A. Illustration
On the way to work this morning, I pulled up to a stop light and noticed an interesting SUV in front of me. The owner of the SUV is clearly a person of deep loyalty. The spare tire mounted on the back had the words "Texas Longhorns" and an orange, steer-head icon on it. The trailer hitch displayed another steer-head icon and the word "Texas." The license plate frame was bordered with the words "Longhorns" on top and "University of Texas" at the bottom.
But something didn't add up. That license plate frame was screwed into a blue-and-white, Illinois, "Land of Lincoln" license plate with a picture of old Abe himself on it. I live in Illinois, and the SUV's license plate shows that this driver now does, too. I assume the owner of this SUV had moved, but had not yet identified with his new home and had no plans of changing loyalties.
That's normal human behavior. When we move, we often go through a slow transition of loyalties to our new home. And so it is as a Christian. When we come to Christ, the kingdom of God becomes our home, but the kingdom of this world does not leave our hearts easily. The great challenge of the Christian is to overcome divided loyalties and fully identify with God's kingdom.
-- Craig Brian Larson, Arlington Heights, Illinois
1. That's a great observation and application - the challenge of overcoming a divided
loyalty so that we can be fully identified with Christ and God's kingdom
2. It certainly fits with Paul's effort to convince the Colossians that Jesus was totally,
completely sufficient for all their spiritual needs
B. We struggle with a divided loyalty more than we think
1. It's not uncommon for people to claim that God and/or Jesus is first in their lives
2. Follow that person around, however, and you might be surprised at the number of
times that Jesus or God is further down the list
C. Some church growth experts tell us that something called "core values" are often a hidden
determining factor that prevents people from accomplishing what they say they want to do
1. Core values are those indispensable, non-negotiables that we believe we must have
2. You can set them aside for a while, but usually, we can only do so for a time, then we
will return to those things we consider of utmost importance
3. To follow Jesus, we must seek a particular set of values else we will fail
I. A Summary Of Paul's Concerns
A. The past few lessons have focused on Paul's warnings to the Colossians
1. 2:4 - Don't be deluded by persuasive arguments
2. 2:8 - Don't be taken captive by philosophy and empty deception
3. 2:16 - Don't let anyone judge you with rules or spiritual delusions
4. 2:23 - Don't fall for things that only have an appearance of wisdom
B. It's easy to overlook all the positive encouragement of Colossians
1. 1:4-5 - The Colossians were a people of faith, love and hope
2. 1:13 - We are rescued from the domain of darkness and transferred to the kingdom
of Christ
3. 1:15 - 19 - Remember Jesus in whom dwells the fullness of deity
4. 1:21-23 - You have been reconciled to God; made holy and blameless
5. 2:12 - You were buried with him in baptism; raised up with him through the
working of God who raised him from the dead
6. 2:13 - You were dead in your sins but you were made alive with Christ
C. Those are just a few of the things Paul wrote in this letter, but they are grand things,
powerful things
1. These are the things that literally shape the lives of believers
2. At least they should
a. it is one of the most frustrating things when a man who appears to have beaten
death suddenly loses his life to it
b. I read recently about a man who suffered terrible injuries
1) people were surprised he survived at all
2) he was med-evaced to a hospital with specialists and everything
possible was done to help him live
3) surgery, medications, nursing care - everything was provided
4) he began to improve, everyone was encouraged
5) a couple of weeks later, on the road to recovery, he suddenly died
c. we don't want that to happen, spiritually speaking, to those redeemed by Jesus
D. Paul's warnings were meant to point to the possibility of life for followers of Jesus Christ
II. "Therefore!"
A. You all know about "therefores" by now
1. What I'm about to say is based on what I just got through saying
2. Pay attention to what you just heard or you won't understand what I'm going to say
B. Colossians 3:1-4
1Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. NASB95
1. What this statement flows out of
a. Colossians 1:13 -- 13For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and
transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, NASB95
b. Colossians 1:21-22 -- 21And although you were formerly alienated and
hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, 22yet He has now reconciled you in His
fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and
blameless and beyond reproach— NASB95
c. Colossians 2:11-13 -- 11and in Him you were also circumcised with a
circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by
the circumcision of Christ; 12having been buried with Him in baptism, in
which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God,
who raised Him from the dead. 13When you were dead in your transgressions
and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him,
having forgiven us all our transgressions, NASB95
d. Colossians 3:1-4 -- 1Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep
seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2Set
your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3For you
have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is our
life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. NASB95
2. What this statement forces us to consider
a. Having been raised up with Christ produces two responsibilities
1) keep seeking things above where Christ is, seated at God's right hand
2) a mind set on things above, not things on earth
b. This brings to mind a statement by David Gable
I know what a Miss America looks like, but how about a Miss Kingdom of God? -- C. David Gable in Leadership, Vol. 9, no. 2.
C. These two things are the plague of many Christians caught in the no-man's land of divided
loyalties
1. A man with divided loyalties is a man whose mind is not made up; he is constantly
vacillating between one thing or another
a. James 1:5-8 -- 5But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who
gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6But
he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the
surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7For that man ought not to
expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8being a double-minded
man, unstable in all his ways. NASB95
b. James 4:7-8 -- 7Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee
from you. 8Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your
hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. NASB95
2. A man with divided loyalties is constantly seeking a way to compromise so that he
can enjoy the benefits of two or more things
a. Matthew 6:31-33 -- 31“Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or
‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ 32“For the
Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that
you need all these things. 33“But seek first His kingdom and His
righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. NASB95
b. 2 Corinthians 5:15 -- 15and He died for all, so that they who live might no
longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their
behalf. NASB95
D. It's even worse than we think for we're really talking about a person whose divided loyalty
is between life and death
1. Remember, we were dead in our transgressions and the uncircumcision of our flesh
a. this is what sin always does - it kills
b. Jesus is the only one who can restore us to life
2. How does a person divide his loyalty between life and death?
a. I'll only be some dead?
b. I'll only be some alive?
c. It can only be one or the other, and whichever it is, it will be pretty sick man
Conclusion
A. I want to read a couple of passages from The Message because I like the particular way
the idea behind our discussion today is worded
1. 2 Corinthians 6:16-18 -- 16Who would think of setting up pagan idols in God’s holy
Temple? But that is exactly what we are, each of us a temple in whom God lives.
God himself put it this way: “I’ll live in them, move into them; I’ll be their God and
they’ll be my people. 17So leave the corruption and compromise; leave it for good,”
says God. “Don’t link up with those who will pollute you. I want you all for myself.
18I’ll be a Father to you; you’ll be sons and daughters to me.”
2. Revelation 14:1-5 1I saw—it took my breath away!—the Lamb standing on Mount
Zion, 144,000 standing there with him, his Name and the Name of his Father
inscribed on their foreheads. 2And I heard a voice out of Heaven, the sound like a
cataract, like the crash of thunder. And then I heard music, harp music 3and the
harpists singing a new song before the Throne and the Four Animals and the Elders.
Only the 144,000 could learn to sing the song. They were bought from earth, 4lived
without compromise, virgin-fresh before God. Wherever the Lamb went, they
followed. They were bought from humankind, firstfruits of the harvest for God and
the Lamb. 5Not a false word in their mouths. A perfect offering.
B. If you have been raised up with Christ, don't settle for some compromise with the world
1. You have been raised to life - don't live as if you're still dead
2. You have been redeemed from sin and separation from God - don't live as if
you're still an unregenerate sinner estranged from God
3. Don't fool yourself into thinking that you can have a little of Jesus and a little of the
world - that is foolishness indeed
4. If you have been raised with Christ
a. keep seeking the things above where Christ is
b. set you mind on things above, not on things of the earth
C. Invitation