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Recorded June 27, 2010

In this sermon I look at what it means to be Christian… not just to look Christian or act Christian… but BE Christian!

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My sermon notes:

1Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is your[a] life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

5Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.[b] 7You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Colossians 3:1-10

A couple of weeks ago we looked at Psalm 1. We saw how easy it is to follow the wrong path in this life. First we begin to take counsel from the ungodly, then we begin to walk with the ungodly, and then we begin to get comfortable with the ungodly. And all of this leads us away from God.

Then we saw how the blessed, or godly person, walks with God and because of this they are fruitful. Not only that but they will be able to stand when the judgement comes, unlike the ungodly.

Well this week I want to look at what it means to be a believer, a Christian.

What does it mean to be a Christian?

When they are kids people want to be all kinds of things… when I was a kid actor or rock star… but people want to be doctors, fishermen, politicians, police-officers, firemen… who here wanted to be something when they grew up?

Well God wants us to be Christ followers.

Thinking about this from the “I want to be” angle… How does one BE Christian?

In short… How do you live out the Christian life?

Well, the Apostle Paul offers three very simple steps in the passage we will read this morning, and I want us to walk through them today.

The first step is very simple — seek Christ.

There is an old Candid Camera episode. You remember that old show. They revive it once in a while. The whole series had a simple premise in which they would play some joke on people and “catch them in the act of being themselves.”

In this one particular episode, a man is on a busy city sidewalk. He is standing there looking down on the ground. At nothing.. He walks around a bit, always keeping his eyes on the ground. People pass by and look at him, and keep walking by.

Then he gets on his hands and knees. He feels around with his hands. People slow down and look at this man whose looking for something — contact lens, lost coin — who knows.

Finally, one passerby stops. She starts looking. She never asks the first man, “what are we looking for?”

Then another passerby slows down and starts looking. Finally, the hidden camera has caught a crowd of about a half dozen people looking intently on the sidewalk. At that point, the actor, the first person who was looking on the ground, quietly gets up and walks away.

No one else notices that he has walked away. They are so intent on looking for — who knows what. They never asked what they were looking for, but there they are, intently looking, trying to find whatever is lost. In this case nothing.

People in the world are like this… they follow anyone who comes along with a great idea, or in the case of looking for nothing, not so great an idea. They blindly follow along, without a thought of their own, until they look up and find that that there’s more to life than scratching around in the dirt trying to find something that’s not there.

In the Christian life — you have to know what you are looking for.

(Col. 3:1-2) Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

Paul writes in the opening verses of today’s text, “Set your hearts on things above.” (v.1)

I was interested to learn this week that this phrase is very meaningful in Paul’s language and culture. To set your heart on something is to seek something. To look for something with all your being.

If you want to live the Christ Centered life, then you have to dedicate yourself to a lifetime of not just looking, but seeking, not in the sense of the Candid Camera episode where people are just looking for who knows what, but seeking something specific — namely, the things of Christ.

Then he says in verse 2 – “Set your minds on things above.”

What Paul is referring to is the Christians need to become a student… to learn.

When you become a Christian, you in essence become a student.

And not just any student… A student of Christ.

But it is not like going to elementary, middle and high school and finishing up when you finish 12 – 13 years.

Nor is it like college where it is 4 years and you’re out on the job market.

It’s a life-time of study… In this life you will never graduate as a student of Christ. Because there are always things you will be able to learn.

Paul told his own student, Timothy, (2 Tim 2:15, KJV) “Study to show yourself approved by God, a workman that need not to be ashamed, correctly handling the word of truth.”

This emphasis on seeking and learning new things about God and Christ permeates the entire Bible. In the Old Testament, Proverbs 9:9-10 says, “Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning. ’ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.’”

So let me ask you, what are you doing to seek the things of Christ? What are you doing to “set your heart and minds on things above?”

Jump down to verse 5. Here Paul begins to show us how to live a good Christian life. He tells us to…

Put to death whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.
It’s worth noting that Paul talks about sexual sin more than any other sin. I think there are at least three reasons for this.

1. Sexual sin is different than any other sin. 1 Corinthians 6:18-20: “Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”

2. Sexual sin was and is everywhere. Sex outside of marriage was accepted as the norm in Paul’s day and was actually part of many pagan religious rituals. I don’t need to tell you how pervasive sex is today because you see it everywhere. TV, magazines, adverts…

3. Sexual sin destroys people. Satan knows that he can trip up almost anyone by using sex. David was wiped out for a period of time because of his sin with Bathsheba. Marriages are destroyed on a regular basis because of infidelity. Sex was Samson and Solomon’s downfall. Sex is the downfall of many people in the church including pastors…

Paul lists the sins that we’re to put to death.

• Sexual immorality. This is a general term and refers to any from of illicit sexual behavior. We derive our word “pornography” from this Greek word.
• Impurity. This is marked by a mind that is filled with sensually suggestive thoughts that reads sex into even the most wholesome of situations.
• Lust. Lust seeks quick fulfillment and always wants more. Love takes work and deepens over time. Lust focuses only on the senses, but love uses the senses to cherish the other and to nourish the soul.
• Evil desires. Our physical desires are divinely given but they become evil when they are motivated by the sinful nature and are executed for evil ends. Since desires lead to deeds, we must purify our minds and hearts.
• Greed, which is idolatry. This is the sin of always wanting more. In this context, it may apply to the greed for satisfying evil desires and for sexual immorality. The person who is never satisfied with what he has is usually envious of what others have. This leads to idolatry, when things and people end up taking the place of God.

Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.

Going back to the message on Psalm 1. We need to be careful where we take advice, who we walk with, and what we get comfortable with. Because Paul tells us that if we are living in these ways, we can expect the wrath of God.

But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.
Go over each one

Anger is a continuous attitude of hatred that remains bottled up within.
Rage is what comes bursting out, often uncontrollably.
Malice is an attitude of ill will towards a person. It’s often a hidden hatred of the heart that takes revenge in secret.
Slander is when we destroy another person’s good reputation by lies, gossip and the spreading of rumors.
Filthy language is crude talk or abrasive words and is often filled with swearing and sexual innuendo.

The world tells us that these things are fine… It’s ok to be angry, but channel it…

It’s ok to use foul language… in songs and movies and jokes

No wonder we’re so messed up half the time. We keep getting told stuff ok to do when in fact it’s not.

Whereas the sins mentioned before this section are referred to as the hum-dinger sins, these are referred to as the social sins.

(9) Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

I once asked the question as to why we lie so much. And I came to the conclusion that most times we use lies to cover up our mistakes and sinful natures. We lie to cover our shame and guilt.

In all that we have looked at today Paul is simply telling us that these things can’t just cover these things up if we desire to walk the Christian life… To be Christian… they must be changed in our lives.

If we try and cover up our sinful nature it’s like putting a band aid on a shotgun wound.

The truth is there are a lot of people who never get past this stuff. And they find themselves being torn apart because of the war that rages inside between the spirit and the flesh.

And yet there is so much more waiting for those who would listen to what the Word is telling us.

If we are willing to press onward and allow ourselves to be renewed, not only will we find ourselves living a better more productive life, we will begin to live out our faith like never before.

The Bible talks about taking off the old self and putting on the new. New life in Christ. If we take God at His Word, and truly put on the new self, then we will find that not only are we able to live the life that Jesus promises in John 10:10, but we will ultimately know true freedom.

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