Set Your Sights, Put Off, Put On
First B Jackson
2022-07-03

Automatically transcribed. Where this and the recording disagree, the recording is the record.

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Alright.

Thank you, Judy. Okay. Thank you.

Good morning, church. How are you? Yeah. Are you doing alright today? How is it on the July 3, almost the July 4?

I mean you are ready. You are ready. Shall we sing together? So here's a good word from Psalm 20 four:one to lead us in worship and you can stand. It says, The earth is the Lord's and everything in it, the world and all who live in it.

That's us. Let's start by singing This is My Father's World. Lamentations two twenty two and twenty three. The Lord's compassions are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness.

Let's sing of it. That so true? Faithfulness. Amen. You can have a seat for a moment here.

We've got a few announcements to share.

And welcome, church, to our 11AM traditional service. We also typically have a Monday night service, Monday nights at 1st B, which will be off tomorrow for the holiday. But for the holiday, you are more than welcome to join us for the parade because the parade route is just to this west side of the building, and they'll come on right by. Carl has some coffee and some bagels out. So if you need a place to watch the parade, please come join us.

Yeah. Please. Right over here on the side on Glenwood Street. Coffee, bagels, if you'd like.

And there's also a prayer group of not too many announcements this morning, but a prayer group meets weekly in Diane's office at 07:30 on Wednesday. And then this past week, we also had VBS here throughout the whole week. Is Casey here right now?

No. But Steve Baldock is. And Steve Baldock is going to give us a little VBS report on how it went.

And I'll give a little video real quick while Steve We walks up

got a little video in just a second. Good

morning, everybody. So the church hosted VPS, that's Vacation Bible School, this last week. First time I ever gone to Vacation Bible School. 62 years old, and they didn't have it when I was a kid, so it was kinda fun to go. But there was, like, I don't know, 70 to 90 kids.

It was pretty chaotic, but was pretty good. And they we planted a lot of seeds. And if you would, pray for those seeds to sprout coming up. And it was neat. Lots of folks volunteered.

Liz Owens did a great job. She's like the ever ready bunny. Never runs out. But we had 20 to 30 volunteers, and it was neat. They always do a a theme for their giving, I guess, from year to year.

And this year, it it was to provide clean water containers for some folks down in Mexico that can't get them. And, you know, like those big blue ones you get at the grocery store? Well, I guess it costs $5 apiece, and it's pretty important for folks that don't have running water and have a good container. So the kids were supposed to bring their moneys and try to, you know, get a little bit of money so we'd buy a few of these containers. Well, in years past, the kids would usually make about $500 and bring it in and do some good with it.

Well, this year, there are some entrepreneurial kids and some very you know, they I think Casey said some of the kids who had a lemonade stand, she said they think they were selling it for $10 a cup. Yeah. Yeah. Inflation. Yeah.

So, anyway, these little darling kids, they came up with $1,500. That's enough to buy 300 water containers for people down there. And if that's not cool, I don't know what is. Yeah. That was it.

And there was a lot of volunteers. And if you would, if you were here or helped out in any way, could you just stand for a second real quick? Thank you. And our in our small group, cell group, we've been studying Esther, and Esther's whole thing was is, you know, you might have been born for just the time as this. And we've all got a job to do, and thanks for helping out, guys, and I'll see you all there next year.

Sounds good. Thanks, Steve. Right. Blake, do we have any other announcements we need to share? All right.

Shall we sing again? Let's stand and sing. My country of thee.

But

you were willing to play. You did. That was on us. That was on us. That's not on you.

Let's keep going. Freely, freely. 436. Freely you have received, freely give. Those are Jesus' words in Matthew ten:eight.

Let's sing a bit. That is such a beautiful song. You can have a seat here for a minute. This is the worship through giving part of the service. I'll invite the ushers to come on forward.

Before Judy plays, I'd like to to just pray and and and give thanks. God, it is good to give thanks. Freely, freely, you have given. May we be that, that we would freely, freely give. Colossians reminds us today, always be thankful.

And we are. God, for the 100 plus kids we just heard about coming to VBS this week to hear the good news of your love and forgiveness, some for the very first time, we give you thanks. That's something to be thankful for. And we pray for each and every one of those kids today that was at VBS this week that the seed that was planted in their hearts, it would take root, that it would grow, that it would flourish. Thank you that we get to be a place that nurtures that spiritual growth.

And God for the resources. Thank you for the resources that we can often take for granted to be able to do so for the gifts, for the talents, for the abilities that you have given each one of these, each of the body members to make up the body, to serve, to advance the kingdom. We ask God that you would do your work in your way and would you use us, your willing and obedient servants. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Thank you, Judy. I've got a little video here I want for you to be able to see. A little video clip there is called Looking Up. And there were a couple of Psalm references. I just what I really liked about that video is first it was head down.

Right? On discouragement, on the problems, on everything that's wrong. But then there was a change. There was a shift. Looking up.

A couple of Psalm references that I love from that video. One, Psalm 2seven 13. Let me just see if I can pull it up here. Yet I am confident I will see the Lord's goodness while I'm here in the land of the living. And then another one here from Psalm 120 three:one, I lift my eyes to you, O God, enthroned in heaven.

But the idea here is shifting our gaze and setting our sights on the realities of heaven, not just temporary things, but eternal things. That's where Colossians three is pointing us. So, you know, some shifting gears from where Ray is at in the gospels. I'm studying Colossians on Monday night right now, so it's kind of just what's going through my mind. And I thought Colossians three would just be wonderful.

I know I need to hear it. I think we need to hear it again. And Ray is at home right now. He is in Georgia, I should say his hometown. And he sent a picture and he looked really, really sweaty.

So I think it's good to be here. But I'm happy for him that he gets to have a Sunday just to be. Just to be. So the heading in my Bible, I'm using the New Living Translation is Living the New Life. And there are three imperatives.

I'm just going to name three imperatives that stand out to me in this text and they are set your sights, put off, and put on. Three points. Set your sights, put off, put on. Set your sights on heaven, put off the old nature, and put on the new. It's contrasting the old way of life before a relationship with Jesus to the new way of life in a relationship with Jesus.

And Colossians to me is such a great book because it just continually brings us back to Jesus over and over and over again, the supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus, that he rules and he reigns and that we're complete in him. Let's see. Scripture is is always the best way to explain things. So to explain what what it means that Jesus is supreme, that he rules and reigns. Listen.

For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. God in a body. So you are complete through your union with Christ who is the head over every ruler and authority. That's what it means that Jesus is supreme. And it's a really big statement, isn't it?

It's huge. It's a huge statement, and that is what this letter is designed to do. It's designed to show us that we have everything that we need in him, and it would combat anything that would add or take away from Jesus' message. That's Colossians in a, you know, a couple of sentences there. So in today's text, Paul reminds us, keep your head up.

Believers in Christ, keep your head up. Think about the things of heaven. Walk out this new life in Christ. Put off the old selfish nature and put on the new nature that Jesus gives. This is coming from Colossians three one through 17.

There's a lot here. I want to encourage you to read it throughout the week. There's just really way too much here to to just possibly share in thirty minutes. But I'm gonna share as much as I can. Chapter three one through 17.

I'll read it through. The words will be on the screen as I read. And this is what it says. Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven where Christ sits in the place of honor at God's right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.

For you died to this life and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory. So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality and purity, lust, evil desires. Don't be greedy for a greedy person is an idolater worshiping the things of the world.

Verse six, Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. You used to do these things when your life was still a part of this world. But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, dirty language. Don't lie to each other. You've stripped off the old sin nature and all its wickedness.

Verse 10, In this new life, it doesn't matter if you're Jew or Gentile, circumcised, uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave or free. Christ is all that matters and he lives in all of us. Verse 12. Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tender hearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other's faults and forgive anyone who offends you.

Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Verse 14. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body, you are called to live in peace and always be thankful.

Let the message about Christ in all its richness fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with the wisdom that he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with grateful hearts. Verse 17. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

Here's Colossians three:one-seventeen. Let's pray first

and

ask the Lord to illumine what we've just read. Lord, we pray just that. Would you illumine what was just read? Would you shine light on it? God, teach us, remind us who we are in Christ, putting off the old nature, putting on the new, letting this message of Jesus and all its richness fill our lives.

I pray that we would be filled by it, to overflowing. In Jesus' name. Amen. So here it is again. Colossians three, Living the new life.

Set your sights. Put off. Put on. Starting with set your sights. So I like to run but I wanna clarify that because in Jackson, if you say, oh, I like to do something, there's always gonna be somebody who's like a professional.

And you think, oh, no. No. No. I don't like that kind of I'm not going on a half marathon with you. I'm just I just like to putts around on the Elk Refuge Road just a couple of miles at a time.

So that's what I mean. And probably more like run walking these days. It's not so much running. But the reason that I like to run on the Elk Refuge Road is because I like to just pick a point and run at it. And that might sound kind of strange, but it just, it's helpful for me to keep my head up, to just run at that destination.

I'm not looking at my feet. I'm not distracted by obstacles. I'm just I'm just running toward the goal. And I like that. Colossians reminds me a bit of that when Paul says, since you've been raised with Christ, that's the motivation here, set your sights.

Keep running. Let's look at this motivation here for a second though. I feel like this really illustrates it beautifully. For you were 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. Buried with Christ, raised to new life.

And I mentioned this at the 09:00 too. But if you have made a profession of faith in Christ and have not yet been baptized, please come see Ray and I. Please. This is an outward sign of inward faith. It's commanded by Jesus in scripture.

And it is a huge encouragement to the church. It really is. Both to you, the one being baptized and taking that step of obedience, but also to us as the body of Christ. Because it reminds us of this truth right here in Colossians two twelve. Alright.

Because you've been raised to new life in Christ, what are we to do? Set your sights. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. And what I see in there is a singleness of mind in that verse that picks the kingdom of God and it runs toward it. It's not getting caught in distraction.

It's focused on the reality of heaven, on eternal things. And it's not to say that we're so heavenly minded, we stop looking for God's goodness on earth like this Psalm said, I'm confident I'll see the Lord's goodness while I'm here in the land of the living. And we do. We do. Let's not forget that.

This is home for now. And we can see God's goodness in the land of the living. But it's keeping ever before us the reality. There is a heaven. There is eternal life.

And we've been raised to new life in Christ. Let's keep walking in that direction. That's Colossians three. First Peter says it this way. And the reason that I use scripture is because it just says it best.

It says it best. It says it better than I could ever say it. Like this. In his great mercy, he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that could never perish or spoil or fade. That's where Paul says, set your sights on Jesus, on the kingdom of heaven, on the spiritual rebirth that we've given through faith in Christ, on the fact that Jesus has rescued us from death and hell and the grave,

and he has

transferred us into the kingdom of heaven. Because of that, what are we to do? To put off, put to death the old sin nature. And he gives some specifics. Sexual immorality.

That's sex outside of marriage. Impurity. Lust. What is lust? Depraved passion or emotions that aren't guided by God.

Evil desires desires that aren't inspired by God's persuasion. Greed lusting for temporal things that have no eternal value. Idolatry, worship that isn't directed toward God. But I see a theme there, that all of those are just strong desires aimed in the wrong direction. Like no doubt about it, God has created us to be passionate people with strong desires.

That's a good thing. I think the question here is, what or whom are those passions and desires aimed at? Are they to just love, serve, and glorify self? Are they for me? Or to love, serve, and glorify God?

This quote from C. S. Lewis has always struck me. It would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong but too weak. We are far too easily pleased.

And I put that in front of us to say, could it be that our desires aren't too strong, but that they're too weak, that they have been misplaced, that they need to be redirected to be set on the realities of heaven, used to love, serve, and glorify God rather than to love, serve, and glorify self. That's the old nature. Along with these, we'll keep going down the list, anger, that's when we swell in opposition. Rage. Outbursts of wrath.

Malicious behavior. That's vicious disposition even if not outwardly expressed. Slander. That's abusive language. What God calls right, it calls wrong.

Dirty language speaks for itself. Lying to one another speaks for itself. Paul is saying to the Colossians, Remember, these things were buried with Christ in his death. We died to that old nature. Now we're living in the new, the nature that's being guided by the power of the Holy Spirit.

That's the nature. It's a nature that puts on new clothes. What are those clothes? Here's the good stuff right here. And what struck me, I just want to say this, is I could hear Jesus speaking in every single one of these.

I could hear Jesus in every single one of these. Let me give you an example. Tender hearted mercy. Okay? And the clothes that we put on, tender hearted mercy, that's compassion.

Truly feeling someone's difficulty or misfortune. So think gospels here. Jesus saw Lazarus' sister weeping after she lost her brother. Jesus wept. He wept.

It says he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And as I read these, let's be asking ourselves, am I clothed with these? Do I have tender hearted mercy? Do I feel what others are feeling? Kindness.

That's meeting real needs in God's way that's not harsh or cruel. So thank Jesus in John eight. But let the one who's never sinned throw the first stone. And when the accusers heard this, they slipped away. They dropped their rocks.

They slipped away one by one. And Jesus stood up and he said to the woman, where are your accusers? Didn't even one of them condemn you? No, Lord, she said. And Jesus said, neither do I.

Go and sin no more. Kindness, meeting real needs in God's way that's not harsh or cruel, Does this describe us? Am I clothed with that? Here's another, humility in the list. That's living in complete dependence on the Lord with no reliance on self.

So think of Jesus praying in the garden, Father, not my will but yours. Gentleness, another in the list. That's gentle strength. Think of Jesus saying this to us. Come to me all you who are weary and carry heavy burdens and I'll give you rest.

Jesus is gentle yet strong enough to carry our burdens. Do we practice gentle strength? Patience, another on the list. That's being long tempered. It avoids improper anger.

Think of Jesus' interaction with Philip. So Jesus says, I'm the way. I'm the truth. I'm the life. And Philip says, well, would you just show us the father and then we'll believe you?

Well, does Jesus what does he do? What does Jesus do? He says, don't you know me, Philip? Even after I've been among you for such a long time, he was patient with Philip. Forgiveness.

That's extending favor or pardon to others like God has extended to us. Jesus being nailed to the cross. What does he say? Father, forgive them. They don't know what they do.

My point that I'm trying to make here is can't you see Jesus? Can't you hear Jesus in every single one of these new clothing articles? Every single one of them, I hear Jesus' words. We've been raised to new life in Christ. Now we're wearing his clothes.

His nature, his spirit, his love. Let's keep going. Verse 14. Above all, clothe yourselves with, let's say it together, love. That's the keyword that encompasses all of this new nature.

That's God's self giving, others focused love. It prefers what God prefers. That's the banner over all of this today. Verse 15. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your heart.

What is peace? Peace is God's gift of wholeness. Calling the shots in our hearts it's like an umpire who enforces the rules. We let God's gift of peace umpire call the shots, enforce the rules in our hearts. That's what it means to let the peace of God rule in our hearts.

For as members of one body are called to live in Speaking of peace, I'd like to read this prayer of peace. This was written by Saint Francis long time ago. If you'd like to close your eyes for a moment, if not, that's fine. But I'd like to make this prayer our prayer. And here's what it says.

I'm going to read it slow. Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon. Where there is doubt, faith.

Where there is despair, hope. Where there is darkness, light. Where there's sadness, joy. O divine master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console others. To be understood as to understand others.

To be loved as to love others. For it is giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen. 15 ends with, And be thankful. And thankfulness in this case means being grateful for God's grace.

It is working out what is eternally good. Let me just say that one more time. Thankfulness in this case means being grateful for God's grace, working out what is eternally good. We may not always be thankful for our circumstances. But we can be thankful in them.

This is possible. Why? Because God is working out what is eternally good. Even if we cannot see it right now, We often can't. But he is working all things for his glory and for our eventual good.

In fact, I'd like to just pause just for a moment and pray on that thought, that idea right there. God, may we be a church that is thankful for your grace, your favor, always extending in our direction, working out what is eternally good even if we cannot see it right now. And most of the times we can't and we won't. I pray for the wherewithal. Some of us need the wherewithal to endure.

To trust your sovereignty and your goodness. That you are working out what is eternally good. Would you help us? In Jesus' name. Amen.

Verse 16. And let the message about Christ in all its richness fill your lives where it makes its home in our hearts, where it lives there, where it abides there. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. What does it mean to teach and counsel? That's to reason with one another, urging one another to choose God's best.

We ask, how is it that we can teach and counsel one another? Here it is. We reason and we urge one another to choose God's best. I think I needed to hear that this week. Maybe maybe you didn't, and maybe it just just kinda but for me, that landed on me in a way that I I needed to to hear, to urge one another, to reason together for God's best.

And sing songs and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. I think we're kind of good at this one. And I like it. But this is why we worship in song. It's to glorify God.

It's to lift him up. It is to express our gratitude for raising us to new life in Christ. And then we'll end with verse 17. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father in all things, in every aspect of life. We're representatives of Jesus.

Now that's wonderful and it's terrifying at the same time. It truly is because sometimes we get this right. Sometimes we're great representatives and sometimes we're not. And let's be mindful of it because there are folks that are having a hard time coming back into the church. They've been hurt.

They have wounds. Let's be mindful of it. That we're representatives. But what I love about Colossians is that it reminds us of our true identity in Christ. Who we are and what we wear.

It's who we really are when we put our faith and trust in Christ. That's what Colossians is reminding us of. These new clothes that we wear. That since we've been raised to new life in him, we're wearing new clothes. We're wearing what he wears.

So that's what Colossians three one through 17 has for us today. I'll invite Judy to come back up. We're gonna sing another spiritual song with grateful hearts. But may I encourage us, may I encourage us to set our sights on the realities of heaven, on Jesus, on his kingdom, on the spiritual rebirth that he's given us through faith into a living hope that can never perish, spoil, or fade, to put off the old nature that prefers self, to put on the new nature, the new clothes, preferring what God prefers. And what is that?

That's love. That's love. God's self giving, others focused love. That's the banner over everything here. As we put on our new nature and our being renewed continuously and ongoing.

None of us, no matter how old we are in this room, can say that we have arrived. We have not. We are a work in progress. Can I can I get an amen in that? I mean, it truly is.

We are still a work in progress. We don't have this and we're putting on these new clothes. We are being renewed each and every day. And sometimes we get it wrong, don't we? But let's be reminded who we are in Christ, that we've been raised to new life in him.

We've got new clothes. We've got a new nature. And we need a strength. We truly do. As we learn to know our creator and become more like him.

That's the good word from Colossians. Before we sing, I'd like to to pray together though. Lord, thank you for this message. I needed to hear it. I know that.

And my prayer for us today is that you would give us the desire and the will to do what pleases you, to set our sights on the realities of heaven, to put off the old nature when we see it and feel it creeping up, God, that we can put it to death. To put on the new. Compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, love. These come from you. And when you live in us, they extend from us.

Remind us, God. Teach us. May we let the peace that comes from you rule in our hearts. In Jesus' name. Amen.

This is a fitting song that we would end with. Have Thine Own Way. So would you stand with me and we'll sing it together. Amen. And Blake is gonna share a benediction here before we part.

From today's message, Colossians three seventeen, and whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to the God the father through him. Have a blessed week. Amen.

Hey there.