Living The Resurrection Life
In the first two chapters Paul is dealing with many problems in the Colossian Church including Legalism, Mysticism and Asceticism. Paul instructs the Colossians that Christ is Preeminent in all things and because of our identification with Christ’s Death, Burial and Resurrection we are to live Resurrection lives. 1. The Resurrection Life Desires Heaven Our Lord is in Heaven We are to seek “pursue” the things of God We are to set our minds “focus” on eternal things 2. The Resurrection Life Is Dead to the Flesh We are to keep the flesh buried We are to be obedient or be judged "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20 Fornication = sexual immorality Uncleanness = vile desires Passion = uncontrollable desire Evil Desires = lustful craving Covetouness = desire to obtain more Anger = attitude from jealousy/resentment Wrath = explosion of anger Malice = desire to harm Blasphemy = speak evil against God or man Filthy language = harse words from the heart Lying = intentionally misleading 3. The Resurrection Life Is a New Life We are new creatures in Christ 2 Cor. 5:17 We have renewed knowledge-spiritual understanding All are equal in Christ (racial, religious, social) 4. The Resurrection Life Can Only Be Lived in the Spirit “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. Romans 8:13 “Walk by the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Galatians 5:16 A Sack Full of Sparrows Paul Harvey once told of a little boy, whom doting parents had spoiled into a brat. The boy carried with him a sack, and in the sack there was a most pitiful kind of stirring. He had captured some tiny birds. The sound of imprisoned wing-beats slapped hopelessly at the heavy manila walls. A pitiful chirping now and then issued from the little paper prison that he swung at his side. He met an old man as he walked along. “Whatcha got in that sack?” asked the old man.“I got a sack full of sparrows!” said the little boy. “What are you going to do with them?” asked the old man.“I’m going to take them out of the sack, one by one, and tease them—pull a feather out now and then, and then I’ll release them to the cat for his dinner.”“How much would you sell the whole sack for?” asked the old man.The little boy thought a moment and decided that he should put a lot of capital on the venture and dicker down if he had to, so he threw out the figure: “I’ll take two dollars for the sack!” “Done,” said the old man; and he reached in his pocket, pulled out the two dollars, and gave them to the lad. The lad then handed him the sack. The old man held it far more kindly than the reckless youngster had. In a moment he untwisted the coiled paper neck of the bag and pulled it open. In but a little bit, the sky connected brilliantly with the open inside of the bag and the birds were gone. And so it happened one day that God met Lucifer with a huge bag. Inside the bag were the most hopeless sounds of life struggling to be free—the sounds of young and old alike wailing in pain. “What have you got in the bag?” asked the Father.“People,” smirked Lucifer.“And what will you do with them?”“I will torment them one by one, and when they are all worn out with trials, I will throw them into hell.” “And what will you take for all of them?”“Your only Beloved.” “Done!” said the Father. And He reached down to earth and gave us the gift of His Son.And in such a happy trade-off we come to hold the key to the resurrection and the life.
