Seek the Things That Are Above

you are our life for Jesus we have died we have been raised and our life is hidden with Christ in God when you Christ appear who is our life then we will appear with you and glory make these words plain and powerful transforming to us now in Jesus name I ask it amen maybe see my college years began 55 years ago fall of 1964 my seminary days began 51 years ago 1968 and I mentioned that because looking out on you reminds me of the remarkable hope and excitement I felt in those days that Wheaton College and fuller seminary and I thought what an amazing thing it is that for most of you students not all of you but most of you there is 50 years in front of you amazing aren't you amazed you have 50 perhaps years of ministry in front of you life and then I think of the thousands and thousands of ideas that are going to come at you during those 50 years ideas about what is real and you'll have to decide what's real and ideas about how your mind should be shaped by what's real kind of disposition or mindset you should have an ideas about what's the path into the mindset that accords with what's real an ideas about the kind of life that should flow from the mindset that accords with what's real ideas some of them just rippling along under your boat barely noticeable and other ideas that are going to be like waves so big they will threaten to capsize your life and then I think what should happen at Bethlem College and Seminary what should happen what should happen in chapels like this what can we do together so that you for those 50 years see reality see reality for what it is and are shaped in your mindset by what is real most real and and know the pathway to pursue it and the obedience that flows from it what can we do what answer is we can point you to some of those great realities that God has revealed great certainties we can show you the mindset that God requires and enables and we can show you the path that leads to that mindset and maybe if that happens then 50 years from now you'll be finding more and more discoveries of reality that you hadn't seen before in God's Word and maybe you'll be standing before a group of students thrilled with thankful and joyful memories of these days and help them see reality and be shaped by reality and know the path into reality so Colossians 3:1 to 4 is the pulling back of a curtain so that you can see reality unbelievable reality and literally unbelievable without a miracle of the Holy Spirit you won't believe this you will not believe what's here without the miracle of the Holy Spirit in your mind and heart realities here are so astounding that if you see them and if you're shaped by them you will be pervasively and radically different than people around you who don't see these things it shows you a new kind of mindset it shows you a pathway into the mindset that accords with reality and it shows a path of obedience beginning in verse 5 through the end 4:6 chapter 4 which I will not touch leave it to do today in a couple of weeks and others so we're gonna focus on the realities that are here the mindset that is shaped and conformed by the reality and the appointed pathway in the pursuit of the mindset and those realities that's where we're going read it again if you have been raised with Christ seek the things that are above seek the realities that are above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God set your minds on the realities things that are above not on things that are on the earth for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God when Christ who is your life appears you also will appear with him in glory so first we focus on the astounding realities here I see five at least I'm combining some to make it five and manageable in the time and then we'll focus on the mindset and lastly on the pathway to the mindset so let's talk about reality number one first and most foundational reality revealed in this text is the reality of God verse 1 second half of the verse seek the things that are above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God verse 3 you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God without the objective external self existent reality of God nothing in these verses is real it's all religious make-believe and you need to know that in Paul's day and in our day many religious people in churches make their living playing religious make-believe life is vastly more complex more complicated than the division between atheists and theists because there are thousands and thousands of theists who don't believe in God they believe in the idea of God they believe in the power of myth and the God myth is the most powerful myth of all it can change your life thousands of pastors call them liberal progressive modernist postmodern doesn't matter call them what you like don't believe that your idea of God needs to correspond with anything objective outside of you what matters they would say is that your idea of God must have a good effect on your life if it does that's all that matters it must be good for the world religion is valuable myth is beneficial the idea of truth is useful if it helps you be a healthy and tolerant person but when Paul says in verse 1 Christ is at the right hand of God and in verse 3 your life is hidden with Christ in God he does not mean that Christ is at the right hand of an idea or that your life is hidden with Christ in an idea the God of Colossians 3 is the same God as chapter 1 he's the creator of all things 16 he was there before anybody had an idea of whether he was there he's the creator of every human mind even those that think he is unreal he is objective he's external he's self existent he has an uncreated image of himself his son he calls him in 115 his beloved son in who the fullness of deity dwells and by his son he's holding everything in existence verse 17 and this son was sent into the world to bear the punishment of his people 1:14 to 14 he's not an imaginary god this world is the creation of God and it's not imaginary either so the first reality of verses 1 to 4 that is revealed is that here and all the scripture the most fundamental reality we deal with is God the second reality revealed in these verses is Christ seated at the right hand of God verse 1 the second half of the verse seek the things that are above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God so here's the eternal loved son from chapter 1 verse 13 he once was dead chapter 2 verse 12 he's now alive to verse 12 raised from the dead and Paul says three positional things about him one he's above two he's at the right hand of God and three he's seated he's above now it means not just above the clouds and not just above some stars and some space he's absolutely above this created order but there's a mystery isn't there because just as the Incarnation was the penetration of the divine into the realm of the created the ascension of the god man is the penetration of the created into the realm of the divine this is a great mystery he is at the right hand of God as God and as working for God is the god man absolutely above the created order and yet an interpenetration of the created order and the divine order because that's who he is he is at the right hand of God place of honor highest honor highest dignity highest power highest authority he's not below God he's not above God he's at the right hand of God acting as God God acting through him they described in chapter 1 verses 15 to 19 Peter describes that place as the place of absolute power he says this is first Peter 3 22 he is at the right hand of God with angels authorities powers having been subjected to him so at the right hand of God everything is under his feet and Paul says that place has endowed him with the power of intercession for us Romans 8:34 he is at the right hand of God indeed interceding for us and he is seated his great decisive saving work is finished Hebrews 1:3 after making purification for sins after it is done finished complete he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high Christ is above Christ is at the right hand Christ is seated the third reality Paul unveils is that as a believer in Christ your death is behind you it has already happened and your life is not what the world thinks it is it's hidden from the world indeed it's hidden from you with Christ in God so that's the reality death behind you your life hidden from the world from you what you see in the mirror is not your life it is with Christ in God verse 3 you have died so the worst is behind you no matter how much you must suffer in this life verse one you have been raised with Christ the resurrection that you await is as sure as the one you have already experienced verse three second half of the verse your life is hidden with Christ in God as secure as the union of the father and the son infinitely glorious and secure but not yet manifest it is hidden now the reason I said all of this reality is for you as a believer not for everybody now everybody's life is hidden with Christ in God is because of two words in verse 12 and I invite you to look at it chapter 2 verse 12 this verse by way of parentheses is one of the main reasons I'm still a Baptist having gone to three schools in which I wasn't necessarily encouraged to be one especially the last one in Munich I was the only Baptist and it was a set Baptists are set this verse they could not answer not to my satisfaction anyway you were buried with him in Baptism in which you were also raised with him through faith it's not your parents faith in the powerful working of God who raised him from the dead so baptism signifies by immersion in water and the coming up out of the water I'm standing on that pool right here it signifies that we died we were buried we rose and Paul makes explicit that the internal instrument of the Holy Spirit that unites us to Christ so that that reality of death and rising is our reality is through faith isn't the water that did that this is the priest who did that and it is new parents who did that by faith we are united to Christ so that we died and we rose when he died and he rose one of the greatest realities in the universe is that you and every believer you have passed from death to life first John 3:14 the most terrible experience of death is behind you your most glorious experience of life awaits you no matter how horrible the suffering and death that awaits you it is nothing compared to what lies behind you no matter how ecstatic this life may prove to be for you it is nothing compared to the life that is hidden with God in just ready to be revealed when he comes for getting a hold of this reality being held by this reality is utterly crucial for your survival as a Christian you all be a Christian without this reality you'll become a legalist without this reality or an unbeliever it's essential to thriving in the ministry to others to great glories bracket your life they hold up the pain the frustration the ambiguities the uncertainties you say that again your life is bracketed by two great realities and in the middle here pain frustration ambiguity uncertainty behind you is the glory that your death is over it's over you've died it's over and in front of you above you is the glory that your life is absolutely secure in God with Christ will be revealed in glory when it comes those are the brackets that hold the hiddenness as such an important word we pass over to quickly verse three middle of the verse your life is hidden you can't see it it's not in the mirror that's for sure nobody can see it it's hidden the glory is hidden your death with Christ is hid your resurrection is hidden the true you the true life of your soul is hidden more glorious than your present life when you when you taste that life you you will say I scarcely ever knew life I just did a funeral third an hour ago one just like this and I said Paul said we're at home with Christ when we die and most of us feel like we're very at home here right here home at home in my skin at home at BCS at home in Minneapolis at home with my wife and I said one instant at home with Jesus and you will know you've been in a foreign land all your life your life is hidden this is not your life this is not your life we walk by faith and not by sight second Corinthians 5:7 to be sure faith has its seeing right 2nd Corinthians 4:4 faith sees but the sight of faith is not the kind of sight that removes hiddenness our life is hidden and may God grant you to see that what you can't see is more real and precious than all that you can number four the fourth reality Paul unveils in Colossians 3:1 to 4 is Christ is going to appear verse 4 when Christ who is your life appears Christ is here now in this room he's reigning over the world now pervasively completely you can't lift your finger without Jesus Christ now Donald Trump can't paste one hair in place without Jesus brexit will happen or not according to Jesus I will live to the end of this message or not by the will of Christ he's here totally in charge in this room and in this world but it's hidden his power is hidden his presence is hidden I can't see it like the wind know where it comes from where it goes and Paul is saying in this verse it will not always be so the hiddenness is going to come to an end and all those who thought all the matters is our ideas of God all the matters is the power of myth and the pleasures of imagination they're gonna cry out to be hidden from the wrath of the Lamb when mountains and rocks fall upon them real real rocks real mountains not imaginary ones they will want realness to crush them to death to avoid the wrath of the Lamb cuz it's real and they'll know it too late the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ Titus 2:13 he is coming he will appear all the hiddenness of this present life will no longer be hidden finally number five the fifth reality is your hiddenness will also be over as well you will appear with him in glory verse 4 when Christ who is your life appears you also will appear your invisible right now nobody can see you your life is hidden with Christ in God nobody can look at you and see you you can't see yourself in front of the mirror the true.you is invisible you will be manifested so Jesus says for sure let your light so shine before others that they may see your good deeds and give glory to your father in heaven then they can see you can see my life and give glory to my father in heaven nobody did more good deeds than Jesus Christ nobody did more God manifesting glory revealing deeds than Jesus and how many people saw it little tiny handful and the rest killed him there's no reason you should expect any better none think you're not strange when the fiery ordeal comes upon you it's not strange it's part of hiddenness it's part of hiddenness he was hidden from their eyes and you are hidden from their eyes and so a handful here and there somebody might see your good deeds and glorify your father in heaven but most won't so yes by all means let us seek to reflect the glory of God now we must were told to do Jesus says to do that but what a defeated and hopeless life we would live if we think this is my real life this is the measure of holiness this is the measure of purity of my life this is the measure of God Word mysticism a joy this is the measure of glory this is the real me it's not it's not the real you when Christ who is your life is your life the creator of your life the sustainer of your life the Redeemer of your life the owner of your life the pattern of your life the treasure of your life when he appears and only when he appears and is manifested from his hiddenness will it appear who you really are and you will shine like the Sun in the kingdom of your father and see as Lewis said we will be tempted to worship each other except we will be sanctified so we won't worship each other though we will look like gods because we will be children of God in fullest those are the five realities God Christ seated at the right hand of God your risen life hidden in God and your death behind you Christ coming out of hiddenness and you coming out of hiddenness shining like the Sun second there's a mindset that we are to have shaped by this reality verse to set your minds on things that are above on realities that are above not on things that only are thought I think the things that are above inserts are what I've been talking about for the last 25 minutes these five realities are the things that are above not on things that are on the earth the things that are on the earth are any ideas or behaviors or institutions in this world not rooted in and shaped by these realities and pulse spells them out in verses 5 and following says take them off here's the problem with translating Paul's words with set your mind on there's a problem with translation like that usually Greek to know the problem it helps it really helps here but English readers just pay attention to context will solve 99% of the problems that we think Greek songs suffer now is a loved word by the Apostle he loves this word group we don't have anything like it in English that's the word translated set your mind on from Nate for Nate a that exact word exact form of the word is used in Philippians 2:5 let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus how different is that then set your mind on the mind in Christ Jesus this is a call to have a mind to have a mindset to have an attitude set to have a disposition to have a set of inclinations and preferences in your entertainment and your clothing and everything else you experience in life have a mindset shaped by five realities that's what he's saying be shaped in your mind and your attitude your longings you've desires the problem with translating it as set your mind on is this you can set your mind on something and disagree with it you can set your mind on something and not like it believe me Paul doesn't mean that when he says set your mind all these reality doesn't mean and you can take them or leave them no be shape have a mind formed by these realities not by television not by movies not by social media get your mind shaped and formed by real things real reality that's what school exists God Christ seated at the right hand of God your true life hidden with Christ in God death behind you spectacular public appearance of Christ and your appearing with him in glory let it shape the way you see the world shake the way you think about the world shake the way you feel about the world that's what verse 2 means get a mindset that accords with these realities last point the pathways if there's realities there's the mindset there's the pathway that he calls us on to in the pursuit of that mindset and it's failing verse 1 if then you have been raised seek now that's an active verb seek the things that are above seek these realities seek them that's the pathway to the mindset seek them pursue them chase them track them down seize them hold on to them gaze at then dig into them understand them taste them savor them treasure them it's not passive no one gains the mindset of heaven passively it doesn't happen you seek it or you don't have it however beware the only seeking that succeeds is the seeking by those who are dead the only seeking of life hidden with Christ in God is the seeking by those whose life is hidden with Christ in God you're not seeking to make the death or the life happen you're seeking because they have happened look at verse 3 can you be finder you have died seek it's seeking to die you're seeking conversion you know seeking regeneration silver yet seeking resurrection that happened when Jesus rose it's over finished done complete behind you see those the only kinds of seeking that scheme the others are hopeless you're not seeking your resurrection you have been raised verse 1 you have been raised verse 3 you have died so you can't seek to be raised you're already raised can't seek to die with Christ you've already died with Christ so seek the realities that are above you have died you're raised these are the basis of your seeking not the object of your seeking this is the very essence of Christian effort oh how much confusion reigns in the church over Christian effort seek means effort up in the morning early seeking noontime seeking separate time seek and evening seeking going to bed seeking of seeking the things that are above because I'm alive I'm dead with Christ alive with Christ my life is hidden with Christ in God I'm after him because the seeking is the evidence and proof you're alive it's the proof you're dead the proof your life is hidden with Christ in God you're coasting don't count on anything see see we seek we crave we pursue the realities that are above because we are above so let me say it again the pathway into the mindset shaped by the reality of these verses is the pathway of relentless passion seeking seek the realities that are above they are found in the Word of God Colossians chapter 3 glorious realities worthy of 50 years of passionate seeking I'm 73 nothing thrills me more than seeking the treasures of this book and telling people about you never come to the end you never get to the bottom you never get to the top seek seek seek what golden years you are in right now precious years to waste these years playing video games or whatever you do to waste your life don't do that give yourselves to this seeking don't be passive find them meditate on them treasure them until your whole way of thinking and feeling and responding and acting is shaped by your growing up in a world that's so committed to shaping your reality if you don't take this word see and give yourself to it hear your little boat with those thousands of ideas rolling under it every day will not survive God Christ seated at the right hand of God your life hidden with Christ in God and your death behind you Christ appearing in glory out of the hiddenness and your appearing with him shining like the Sun those five realities are more real than anything in the world father I beg of you that for the years or minutes I have left and for the time the years the 50 years that these students and others have left we would not be conformed to this world but be transformed by seeking the realities that are above shape our mindset so that what we love and what we prefer is in accord with these glorious truths these realities I pray in Jesus name

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Views: 63,268

Rating: 4.879518 out of 5

Keywords: Desiring God, John Piper, God, Jesus Christ, Christianity, Christian Hedonism, Colossians 3:1–4, Sermon, Preaching

Id: 5nRYyl6V4uk

Length: 45min 21sec (2721 seconds)

Published: Sun Dec 29 2019