Sermon: How to Stay on the Narrow Colossians 3:1-11

December 11, 2017

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Sermon: How to Stay on the Narrow Colossians 3:1-11
 
We are at war with sin.  Paul gives instruction on how to put sin away.
 
One Way Christian Center is a Reformed Baptist Church, located in Olustee, OK close to Altus, OK and Altus AFB.  
 
www.onewaychristiancenter.com
 
Consider joining us for service.  Sunday service starts at 10:30 AM and Wednesday service starts at 7 PM.
 
 
 By: Bryan Walker Given on: 12/10/2017  Sermon plays on KWHW 93.5 FM on: 12/24/2017
 
Sermon Notes:
 
Colossians 3:1-11 ESV  
 
Put off these things 1-11
Put on these things 12
 
Chapter 2 – Do not let anyone judge you or disqualify you over food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind,
 
Chapter 3 (5)  Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry —(8) …anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.
 
*** IMPORTANT – He tells you why and HOW to put them away ***
 
 Colossians 3:1-10 ESV  If then you have been raised with Christ,
 
    • Not a question of “IF”
    • Since you have been raised
        • I’m going to Walmart
        • If you are going to Walmart…
Colossians 2:12 (paraphrase) Since you were buried with him in baptism and raised with him through faith… do this
        • Not only to do it but YOU ARE NOW enabled to do it
        • We are in a war, against fleshly desires
            • Paul gives us practical answers that work
    • Doctor’s – If you eat this food and do this exercise
        • Once… I listed and it worked
            • Anyone with the same condition, I said…
    • Instructions – Hours, and hours wasted
    • Not following God’s instructions – consequences much more severe
    • Next few weeks: HOW to live the Christian life
    • These principals apply to ALL
 
Colossians 3:11 ESV  
 
(1) …seek the things that are above,
 
    • This is where we place our mental focus
        • The desires of our heart
        • The battle for our attention
            • Is the world winning this battle?
 
Matthew 6:21 ESV  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
 
    • With this new heart we have new desires
        • We now have the ability to seek the things that are above
            • We are commanded to seek, for our own good
            • As we seek the desire and ability grows.
 
    • The Christian wakes up behind enemy lines
        • Escape and evade
        • The enemy will look in the last known location – RUN
 
Hebrews 12:1-2 ESV  Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin [put these things down] which clings so closely [Acknowledge the difficulty], and let us run with endurance [keeping a pace] the race that is set before us, [Race horses]  (2)  looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, [Focused on Jesus and his example] who for the joy that was set before him [Even Jesus had to focus on the goal, the JOY] endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
 
    • What is this JOY?
 
Psalms 16:11 ESV  
 
where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  
 
    • Right hand means equal power and honor
        • Military, lesser to the left
 
Hebrews 1:3 ESV  
 
    • First, Paul says seek the things that are above
        • NOW, Paul tells us HOW TO DO IT
        • He says (2)   Set your minds on things that are above
    • You MUST KNOW GODLY THINGS to have GODLY THOUGHTS
        • We have constant education in worldly things
            • Double down on heavenly things
            • The mind must be changed
            • So important, Paul comes back to this in verse (10)
 
(10)  
    • We must know our creator
 
Romans 12:2 ESV  
 
    • Daily habit or reading, studying and prayer
        • Older songs provide excellent understanding of God
            • Memorize using music
            • Psalms is the largest book of the Bible
 
Romans 8:5 ESV  
 
Philippians 4:8-9 ESV  
 
1 John 2:15-17 ESV  
 
(3)  
    • We are dead to the former things
        • Released from the bondage to sin
        • There is a radical break in sins dominion over us
        • Do not use the dominion of sin as an excuse
 
Romans 6:14 ESV  
 
    • Life referring to your NEW spiritual life and our resurrection
    • hidden with Christ in God
        • Hidden from the world
        • We have a joy the world does not know or understand
            • We woke from the world’s joy…
                • We see it for the lie that it is
                • What do you think of drug dealers?
                    • Come on try it you will feel good – destruction
                • Yet there are so many more drug dealers
                    • Peddling sinful desires
                    • Ridicule you for not joining in
    • The hidden life will be revealed
 
  (4)  
    • Notice Christ is your life
        • He is the well of eternal life
        • Our hope is in him, not ourselves
    • When he appears, we will also appear with him in glory
        • Your reward is great
        • On that day the world will regret
            • You will go into eternal glory
            • They will enter eternal judgement (warn them)
                • See verse (6) the wrath of God is coming.
 
(5)  
    • The opposite of Setting your minds on things that are above
    • sexual immorality – The world celebrates this (drug dealer)
        • Adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism, close relatives
        • Paul says elsewhere to FLEE these things – don’t try to fight
    • Impurity – polluted with a foreign substance
Rom 1:24  Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity
    • Passion – In this case, bad passions
Rom 1:26  For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions.
    • evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry
        • These all have earthly consequences, divorce, diseases, unhappiness, desperation, despair.
    • Also,   (6)  On account of these the wrath of God is coming.   
 
    • Who is the God of wrath?  We don’t hear much of him today?
        • Sermon Gregory Barkman
            • Belief in God’s wrath causes higher church attendance
            • Belief in God’s wrath causes lower crime rates
            • Looked up the study
    • Students were more likely to cheat when they believe in a forgiving God than a punishing God.
        • You are driving people away???
 
(7)  
 
    • Do any of these apply?  Anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk (and lying to one another)
    • Notice, you must put them all away
        • Would you kill some cancer?
        • So, who is holding on to something?
        • Just put enough away to look Christian?
        • Sanctification is a continuous process
    • Where is your focus?  job, laundry, cleaning, chores, studying, ball games, family, kids, responsibilities, or something else…
        • We are all busy, and these things are important
    • However, do we take time to:
        • seek the things that are above
        • Set your minds on things that are above
            • Then we wonder why our walk is not better than it is???
            • Why expect growth if you are not eating or drinking
            • Once a week?
                • How many times a week are you assaulted by worldly desires?
                • This is a war, are you winning
                • One reason for loosing
                    • Not listening to God
                    • Not being focused on God
                    • Focusing on the problem
        • seek the things that are above
        • Set your minds on things that are above
            • Jesus Christ has won the victory

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