Dwelling Place

Announcer: Today on the Dwelling Place.

Al Pittman: The Bible tells us in Hebrews chapter 10, verses 11 to 14, and every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. Your religious duty can never take away your sins. Being the best person, buying the biggest Bible, going to church 24/7 all year long will never take away your sin. Only the blood of Jesus can. Thank you for listening to The Dwelling Place, a radio ministry from Pastor Al Pittman of Al Pittman Ministries. The purpose of this radio program is to encourage you, strengthen your walk with the Lord, and grow. To support this program financially or learn more about the ministry, visit us online at alpittmanministries.com.

That's alpittmanministries.com. Thank you for partnering with us. Now, here's Pastor Al. Colossians chapter 3, verses 1 to 7, we will be looking at today, but this is really a message that goes to verse 17, and it is actually part one of a two-part message. And, so we'll be looking at verses 1 to 7 today. I've entitled this message Living Above the Surface. Living Above the Surface. Let's read the text together, and then we will get into the word here. Paul writes, Colossians chapter 3, verse 1, if then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above where Christ is sitting, where Christ is, and he's sitting at the right hand of God.

Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ and God. When Christ, who is our life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Therefore, put to death your members which are on the earth, fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things, the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. This message today is the preamble for the rest of the text of verses 8 to 17 we'll look at again next week.

The followers of Jesus Christ, Paul reminds us here, have not only died in Jesus, according to chapter 2 of Colossians, verse 20, but we have also been raised in Jesus. However, a lot of believers live their lives rather than living above, raised with Christ, or content with living sort of beneath the surface, sort of like a spiritual submarine. I was reading the other day an article about dating, and not that I'm trying to date, amen, I'm just, I'm married, amen, praise the Lord. Happily married. But it was interesting, this article, because I saw this phrase that I didn't really... I said, what is this all about?

And the name of the title, rather, of the article was Submarining is the latest dating woe to battle romantics. Anybody ever hear of submarining? There was one person last service. Nobody Saturday night, but they don't get anything anyway, but no, I'm teasing. I'm teasing. Submarining. What is submarine? Well, submarining, here's the definition, is when a person you've been seeing appears without reason and then reappears without reason, as if they'd been simply lurking below the surface of your romantic interest. In my day, they called it stalking. I'm just saying, that's how I got my wife, amen.

I just, she couldn't get rid of me, amen. Hung around, I might as well marry him, he won't go away. But I thought, what a, this term submarining. Hey, you people, you young people out there, you're single, you're dating or whatever, you're middle-aged or whatever, you're single, be aware of this thing called submarining. But then I thought about it, I thought, well, submarining is not really new to the church. Christians have been submarining for a long time, constantly disappearing and reappearing, surfacing in other congregations, and they wonder why they can't live a life reflective of a risen Savior, and their faith is submerged underneath, living beneath rather than living a life in Christ above.

Paul gives us here within our text three ways in which we can avoid living a submerged faith, and that's what I want to talk to you about today. Those three ways is number one, to seek, number two, to set, and number three, to sentence. In verse 1, we find the first of these three means by which we can avoid living beneath, and we can start living above. Paul says, if you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above. Seek those things that are eternal rather than temporal. And in order for us to truly seek those things above, we must believe in a couple of things. That is where Christ is seated and why Christ is seated.

First, where Christ is seated. And Paul reminds the church and reminds us here, he's seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Amen. He's seated there in glory in a place of supreme authority and favor, because we know that the right hand of God is the hand of favor, the Bible tells us. He is seated at the right hand of the Father. A lot of times we fail to live a life reflective of the fact that Jesus is risen, that he's alive, because we fail to really understand where he is. Yes, the Holy Spirit is here with us. He lives within us, yes, by his spirit, but his position of authority we fail to recognize.

So many times we find ourselves living as a Christian if by our circumstances rather than living by his position. You follow me? We look around and we see our circumstances, we say, oh, this is the way it is, but it's not. You need to look a little higher, to look above. Seek those things that are above. Understand where Jesus is. He's in a place of authority. We've already studied where he has power over all principalities and power, amen, made a mockery of them through the cross. And then he's now seated in a place of supreme authority and favor, the right hand and the throne of God. And because he is seated there, my allegiance must be to him alone.

Because he is seated there, I must be completely obedient to him. In fact, you know, I owe him my life. To be completely obedient to Jesus Christ, he sits in that place of authority, and being in that place of authority, he demands our complete allegiance. Romans chapter 8, verse 12 through 14 says, therefore, brethren, we are debtors. We are debtors not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh, for if you live according to the flesh, you will die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

That word sons mean universal, sons and daughters of God. These are children of God. When I live my life according to the flesh as a believer, truly, the intimacy that I have with the Lord seems to die. But if I will live by the, in the Spirit, indebted to the Lord in the Spirit as a life indebted to Jesus, because he's the only one seated at the right hand of the throne of the Father, I will live. So I need to understand where he is. He's in a place of sovereign authority. He's able to see things that I can't see. I need to trust in him. And Chuck Smith, used to use an illustration about how the Lord sees the end from the beginning, and we can trust in him.

It's kind of like watching a Disneyland parade or whatever, you're waiting for Mickey Mouse to come and you're just jonesing for Mickey, you know, and your parents are saying, he's coming, he's coming, but he's like four blocks away. You can't see it as a kid, you're panicking, he's not going to come, Mickey, Mickey, you know, because all we see is what's in front of us. God sees the end from the beginning. Jesus at the right hand of the throne of the Father, he knows what's coming, what he asks us to do is to trust him. All you can see is this. You don't see what's 3 or 4 blocks away. And Chuck would say it's like in that parade, God is able to see, and he's saying, hold on, it's coming, just trust me.

But I don't have it yet, I don't see it, and we're just living by what we see. No, no, no. Faith lives by what God sees, not what you see. And so therefore, when it comes to what my flesh is telling me, what's right in front of me, I'm not obligated to live according to what my flesh dictates to me. I'm obligated to live from the one who's seated in a place and has a perspective that is everlasting at the right hand of the throne of God. Put my trust in him because he's the one, because of where he is seated. The second reason why we seek him is we don't, to seek Him or to live above is to look where He is seated, but also to understand why He is seated.

Sometimes we read that, we just go, well, you know, He is sitting at the right hand of God. That's a big deal. Now, obviously it is, but understanding what that really means means that He's seated there as your high priest. That's why He's seated there, to be our high priest. In the Old Testament, the priests would go into the Holy of Holies, and I talked about this last week, and they would sprinkle the blood of the sacrifice animal on the top of the Ark of the Covenant, which was called the Mercy Seat of God. They could only go in once a year, and they had to make atonement for themselves, and also they would go in once a year to make atonement for all the people in Israel.

Problem was is they had to keep going year after year after year, but there's a piece of furniture that they, that, you know, that's not, that's missing in the Holy of Holies, and that piece of furniture is a chair. There's no place for the priests to sit. Why? Because the work was never complete. It had to keep going on every year the priest would have to come in and commit, to sprinkle the blood for the atonement of the people every year. But Jesus Christ, when he died on the cross, our high priest, died once and for all of us. In fact, he said on the cross, it is finished. And then he sat down and crossed his legs, amen, at the right hand of the throne of God.

The work is over. It's finished. The Bible tells us in Hebrews chapter 10, verses 11 to 14, and every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. Your religious duty can never take away your sins. Being the best person, buying the biggest Bible, going to church 24/7 all year long will never take away your sin. Only the blood of Jesus can. Your religion will never do anything for you. Only Christ, a relationship with God through faith in Christ can make us whole. The writer of Hebrews goes on to say, but this man, that is Jesus, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins, for how long?

Let's see, we got four over here. You folks are out to lunch. I don't know what's... He has offered his sacrifice for our sins for how long? Forever. Amen. Sat down at the right hand of God. Amen. From that time, waiting till the enemies, his enemies are made his footstool. For by one offering, one offering, he has perfected for how long? Forever. Those who are being sanctified. That's good doctrine there. Your position in Christ is you're perfect right now. You've been perfected in Jesus, but because you're still on this earth, he's still working on you. You're being sanctified. Amen. So you spouses turn to your bride and just say, or your husbands turn to your wives and say, I'm perfect, baby, don't get no better than this.

In the eyes of God. Amen. But in your eyes, while I'm here on earth, God still got some work to do in me, amen. That's all right, amen. But we've been perfected in the eyes of God forever. Through faith in Jesus Christ. Because he is seated for our atonement, and the work of salvation is completed in him. When we understand where, and we understand why Christ is seated, it gives us boldness to live above and not beneath. That's Paul's point here. Oh, if you've been raised, then live like it. Where Christ is seated in authority, he's seated for your forgiveness. Live like it, if you've been raised with him.

Seeking that which is above is not merely attaining heavenly benefits. Well, you know, what's in it for me kind of mentality. Seeking that which is above is really a matter of worship. So when Paul talks about here, seek, you know, Christ, those things which are above, he's talking about worship. He's talking about looking to the eternal, but he's also talking about worship. Because the word seek in Greek is zestheo, and it actually means worship. What do you worship? Because what we worship, we will seek, and what we seek, we will worship. If you worship sex, it's on your mind right now, because you're seeking it.

If you worship drugs and alcohol, it's on your mind right now. You can't wait to take another drink, another hit. If you worship money, it's on your mind. Yeah, right now, even in a church service, you're thinking about it. Why? Because that's what you seek, and you worship it. Your hands may be raised, but your heart is someplace else. If it's a relationship, your heart is with that person right now. You don't have to make people worship what they seek. They do it naturally. If you seek the Lord, I don't have to follow you home to make sure you read your Bible. I know you will. I don't have to make sure you check the box when you pray, because I know you'll pray.

I don't have to make sure you repent of sin because you love the Lord. You'll repent. God will take care of you. Amen. The Holy Spirit's there to convict you. Because you worship him. And the Old Testament tells us that we become like the very thing we worship. So true. How many men have destroyed their families by becoming like the very thing they worship? Addicted to things that only destroy their families. Because they become the very thing that they worship. What do you worship? What do you seek? Jesus said in Matthew 6:21 says, for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. There your heart will be also.

Pastor Al can't win your heart. You lead a horse to water, but you can't make them drink. You will worship what you seek. I pray you are seeking here today to seek the Lord. Our worship, the motive of our living is found not here in this world, but it's really found above. Paul says, seek those things that are above, that which is eternal. That's where my motivation comes from, not from the temporal things below, but the things above. And how do I keep that perspective? How do I keep this, that perspective of seeking? Well, there a couple of ways. I was reading an article entitled 5 Ways that you can actually destroy your eyesight, or aid in destroying your eyesight.

It was interesting, those 5 ways. 2 of those ways had to do with a lack of water. Lack of hydration can destroy your eyesight. The second one was a lack of sleep. Sleep deprivation can end up, can harm your eyesight. And I thought, isn't that the same thing with us spiritually? The lack of water, the water of the word, hydrating your soul, being in the word of God. A lack of that will obscure your vision, and you will forget that you've even been saved. You'll forget the sacrifice of Jesus Christ because you're not in the word. You're not hydrated. You come to church dehydrated. You go home dehydrated, and you wonder why your faith looks more like someone living beneath rather than above.

The other one is rest. Rest in the Lord. Put, in other form, I trust in the Lord. Lord, I trust in you. Where is your rest? Rest in the Lord. If we're not resting, it can also harm our eyesight. If not walking, resting, another way to say, to talk about resting is to live by faith. I'm resting in you. I'm walking. I'm living by faith. The just shall live by faith. Are you resting in the Lord this morning? If we're not hydrated, if we're not resting in the Lord, we will begin to live a life beneath and not above. Seeking that which is above is what God has called us to do. Stay in his word, continue to walk by faith, resting in Christ.

Here's the second thing that Paul mentions here by way or the way in which we can avoid living beneath and we can live above as those who've been raised in Christ. He says first seek, and secondly he says set. Verse 2. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. Set your minds on things above. That phrase set your mind, it's a Greek from the Greek word, one Greek word for no, for noe, froneo, excuse me, and it literally means set your affection on or to exercise the mind. The Bible tells us to exercise our minds in godliness. Focus on the things of God. Set your affection. Where is, what is the affection, if you will, of your mind?

And the battle for our mind is an ongoing conflict. Amen? I mean, it's ongoing. An ongoing conflict, and the devil knows that. And therefore, Paul exhorted us and exhorts us in Philippians chapter 2, verses 1 to 5. I don't have the time to read the whole thing, but the gist of it is this: Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. What mind? Well, go back and read Philippians chapter 2, verses 1 to 5. He talks about a mind of consolation, a mind of comfort, a mind of affection, a mind of mercy, a mind of esteeming other people better than yourself. Let this mind be in you, which is also in Christ Jesus.

That's a mind that is set upon the Lord, the mind of a servant. And then Paul also reminds us, in Romans chapter 12, verses 1 and 2, do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed through the renewing of your mind. And of course, the way we renew our minds is through the word of God. The renewing of your mind. Not be conformed to the world, but be transformed, transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit. As the old saying goes, you have two dogs in a... fighting each other, which dog is going to win? Well, it's the dog that you feed. Amen. If you've been feeding upon the things that are above, the enemy's going to come because he's always trying to bombard your mind with things, but he'll be soundly defeated because you're living as one who is raised, who's living in Christ rather than living beneath.

But if you're focused today on the world and what's happening in the world and everything that's in the world and everything, you're just focused on the things that are here on this earth, that's the dog you're feeding, and that dog's going to overcome, and you will not be able to live a life reflective of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. You'll still be living beneath in unbelief. You've got to set your mind. People's minds are failing them today because of fear. The recent shooting in Las Vegas, hurricanes, politics, political climate, social unrest, all of it is a tremendous strain on the minds of people, and people are asking serious questions, what is really going on?

I think it's interesting in this tragedy in Las Vegas, and we need to continue to pray for the families of the victims and those who are recovering from that. What a horrific event. But here again, once again, mankind, who believes that men are basically good, are struggling once again to understand why this happened, because the man that committed the act doesn't fit the profile. I mean, he didn't live this crazy life.

Announcer: Learn more about Pastor Al and his ministry by visiting alpittmanministries.com. Also consider supporting us financially. You can send a check to Al Pittman Ministries at PO Box 50584, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80949, or visit us online. Thank you for your prayers and your support. Your generosity keeps this radio ministry going. Lastly, we would love to hear from you. You can contact us by emailing info at alpittmanministries.com. That's info at alpittmanministries.com. We look forward to hearing from you. Again, thank you for joining us, and we'll see you next time on The Dwelling Place. God bless.