Jesus is Greater Than Your Desires
Notes
Transcript
Have you ever asked yourself the question, why are we here? Why are we here on this earth? Why are we living in Fort Smith, AR in the year 2023? Have you ever thought about what the purpose of life was? Today I hope that I can give you an answer to this question.
This week, I’ve had to do some soul searching. I think I told you guys a couple weeks ago about one of my classes. It is making me do some soul searching. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like taking a closer look at myself. This class is making me re-examine my motivation for doing the things that I am doing. That soul searching has led to this sermon for this week. It goes along with our series that we have been doing the past three weeks. Today is week four and the topic is Jesus is greater than your desires.
Hand out paper with 1 - 5 listed on it.
I want you to take this piece of paper and write down 5 things that is your desire. They can be things that will be easy to do or something that you think might be impossible but you want to do. Like if you want to earn a million dollars then put that down. If you want to visit somewhere or get out of debt or be healthier, maybe you want a miracle to take place in your life, whatever it is write it down. I will give you a minute or two.
We all have dreams and desires. We all want something good out of our life. We all want to be something great or achieve something great. We want to dream the impossible. We want to overcome any obstacles that get in our way. And if we don’t want that for ourselves then we are lying to ourselves.
Go with me to the book of Colossians. We are in chapter 3. We will begin reading at verse 1.
1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
If you have surrendered your life to Christ, then your life and your identity as a Christian is wrapped up in your relationship with Christ, therefore we must set our minds on spiritual matters and let our attitudes be determined by things above. As we become more in tune with the things of God our desires and motives tend to change and if they haven’t then they need to.
You no longer think about what you want but you begin to think about what God wants.
Now look at verse 5.
5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.
Now skip down to verse 8.
8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.
In these two verses Paul covers two sets of sins. The first five refer to sexual sin; the second five to sins of speech. The first five were related to the cultural background of the Colossians and were particularly deadly to the life of the church.
Not only did they need to deal with sexual immorality in all its variations, they also needed to deal with misused anger that often spilled over into evil speech.
These behaviors that Paul listed has no place in any Christian or in any church. These things are a part of the “old life” before knowing Christ. Christians must resolutely “put off” these repulsive sins of anger and speech so that they can “put on” Christ’s attitudes and actions.
When we became a christian it was no longer about us. It is about what God wants. Go to verse 12.
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
You are God’s chosen people. He has elected you to do His work for Him. You took a step of faith and decided to follow Jesus. You called on the name of the Lord. You are God’s holy people. You have been set apart to God from the world. As true believers, we have a desire to please God in every way. Paul gives us ways to do this.
Compassion
Kindness
Humility
Gentleness
Patience
And we are to bear with each other and forgive one another. You are to forgive as the Lord forgave you.
14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
All of the virtues that Paul listed and encouraged the believers in Colosse to develop are perfectly bound together in love. Love is what binds us together.
in any congregation, all across this globe, love must be used to unify the people and build them up. And if you are going to grow up and be mature in Christ, then you must make love a top priority of your life.
Now go to verse 17.
17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Did you see what Paul did there? Do you remember that we read the vices that Paul listed in verse 5 and 8. I told you that he listed two sets of sins. The first set refers to sexual sin and the second set refers to sins of speech. Paul just listed a few things to give them an idea of the things to avoid. He didn’t want to give them a big list of dos and don’ts. So, he says what he is trying to say in one sentence and this is where I want us to go today. Look at verse 17 again. I have read this to you numerous times. I want you to memorize this. I want you to get it down in your soul. I want you write it down so you can see it. Post it everywhere.
Colossians 3:17 (NIV)
17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
First, look at the word whatever for just a moment. In today’s language this word has become the verbal essence of the shoulder shrug. It indicates indifference or apathy. But when you look up this word in scriptures it becomes much more than that.
In Scripture, “whatever” is a term indicating the totality of our commitment to God. The word occurs 173 times, and many of the references speak of wholehearted obedience and blessing. Look at some of the verses.
16 Then they answered Joshua, “Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go.
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.
23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,
27 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.
31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
That little word that we have tried to change its meaning in resent years, when we go to the scriptures it is far more powerful than what we have ever thought about. So...
17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
And then Paul goes back to the word and deed. Earlier he gave us the vices that were both word and deed and now he is telling us that whatever we do, whether it’s word or deed. We are to do all of it in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
Everything we do and everything we say should be done as a representative of the Lord Jesus. When you act in someone’s name, you are acting on that person’s authority. You and are, as believers, are acting as Christ’s representatives.
A lawyer confronted Jesus and tried to trick Him by asking Him what is the greatest commandment. The lawyer was thinking this would trip up Jesus and they could catch Him in a mistake, because there were over 600 laws. Jesus tells them
37 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
38 This is the first and greatest commandment.
39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
Jesus took all the laws and summed them up in just two. Love God with everything that is in you. And Love your neighbor as yourself.
So, I believe that you can apply these two commands, the only two things that Jesus said you must do. Love the Lord with everything. And Love your neighbor as yourself. Look at Colossians 3:17
17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Get out your list of Dreams and Desires. I went ahead and put a list of 5 things down. I’m going to tell you my list.
Be Healthier
Have More Money
Go to Africa
Graduate From College
Retire to Florida with My Wife
Will these things happen. I don’t know. Do they line up with these two things love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And love your neighbor as yourself. They could.
If I am healthier, then I am lining up with what the word says about my body being a temple. That is showing love to God my Father.
If I have more money, then I can pay off my debt and I can give more to the church and other organizations that help to spread the message of God around the world.
I would like to go on a trip to Africa to see all my missionary friends that are there and I want to go on a safari.
If I graduate from college, then I have gained more knowledge that will help me to teach you God’s word.
And retiring in Florida is something that Kelly and I have always wanted to do. I can love God anywhere so why not on the beach.
But do you get my point. My dreams and desires need to line up with what God is wanting me to do. Whatever I do I need to ask those two questions. If I do this am I loving God while I’m doing it. Or am I loving my neighbor as I am doing it.
And that is where I believe that the church needs to be as well. Whatever we do as a church, we need to ask these two questions. If we do this event are we loving God and are we loving our neighbor and if we can’t say yes to both these questions then we don’t need to do it.
We want to plan an event. We need to ask the question, with this even do I love God. And with this event do I love my neighbor. If we can answer yes then we do it and if we can’t then we don’t do it. It is that simple.
17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
17 Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.
17 And whatever you do [no matter what it is] in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus and in [dependence upon] His Person, giving praise to God the Father through Him.
Can we stand this morning? I want our worship team to come and I want us to give God praise for who He is. And I want us to commit ourselves to whatever we do, whether in word or deed, we do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
We are going to sing to close out this service, How Great is Our God. Can we do like we did last week and come forward around the altar area and let’s lift our hands and worship as we sing this song, How Great is our God.