Sunday Rise Up

Sorry, I'm late getting up front. I was working on my value of taking Joy at people's faces, and I got carried away. At that liquor. Excuse anyway. Okay, I have a friend is name is David deiters and he's a spiritual Mentor for me and we talk once a month and around Easter time. He asked the question. What would it look? Like? He said, I want you to ask yourself this question. What would it look like for John to live the Resurrection Life or a resurrection life? Because, of course, Jesus rose from the dead and the Bible says that you have been raised with Christ not as a future description, but as a present reality, this is how the Bible describes people who've made a decision to follow. Jesus said that we are already raised with him. So he asked me. Just think about that. So I have been trying to wrap my mind around it and you're my family. So it's my intention to give you my best stuff. And therefore, I'm inviting you to think about, with me something that I'm chewing on. It's going to take a little work from you. So I'm a little sorry that the heat is over performing this morning because I could just lie down right here on the floor and take a little nap. It's so nice and warm but that's counterproductive to what I was hoping that we could do which is kind of think hard about a topic. So how to live the Resurrection Life and we're going to read from the book of Colossians. So I want to just celebrate that because we've been studying the book of Acts, you know something by you. I mean you if you've been able to be here for this and yeah, we're going to learn some more in this next day, but, you know something about the people of colossi. We didn't see the city of colossae in the book of Acts. But here's the story. When the Apostle Paul and others went to Ephesus and spent time there and a strong community of the followers of Jesus grew up in Ephesus. It seems that a person named effress became a Christian in Ephesus spell these names. Go and he went and started churches in a new place. He started three churches there on this screen. One in heropoulos, one in laodicea and one in colossi. So even though the Apostle Paul does not seem to have been to colossi. He knows the church in Kumasi and he wrote them a letter. So here we are. Experiencing what we talked about earlier, that when, when we've studied the book of Acts as we have, we have the key. To the whole New Testament Bible, we know something about these people that there were probably Jewish people in their town, and there were gentile people in their town. And we know that the gospel when it came, perhaps came with some challenges that had to be overcome, but even with those challenges that gospel got established there and the Apostle, Paul writes this letter to those people. You might wonder where kolache is a. Mine. Was this really a place and this is one of the archaeological sites that has not been excavated. But this is a picture of the colossi tell, that's what you call and unexcavated. What I think you even call it a tell when it's being excavated, but Society's Gathering a place in overtime. They the new Society builds right on top of where the old Society was. And so you get this mound of debris, that indicates. There's been a city there and this is the colossi tell which has not been excavated. Maybe someday it will. OK. Google Paul chooses to talk to the people of colossi about living, the Resurrection Life and we are going to read for versus Jackson, would you just

Keep up with the screen, please Tashan, 31, verse 41, through 4. You have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated, at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on Earthly things for you died. And your life, is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life appears, you also then you also. In glory.

Let me just look, let's back up and start over Jackson.

You have been raised with Christ noticed that. Verse to set your minds. Therefore, on Earthly things, verse 3, your life is now hidden with Christ in God verse for when Christ appears, then you also will appear with him. So the topic is, what does living the Resurrection Life look like for John, or for you. And I think Paul was wanting to make sure that these people in class you knew that and the answers at least, beginning, answers are in these four versus. So, I'm going to talk about those and I'm choosing to divide these four versus into four different ideas. So here's the first one.

You don't need to know why that happened. Number one, try to embrace that. If you have received Christ, you have already died and been raised with him. I added the words try to embrace because that's how I experienced. Try to wrap your mind around this. If you ask a person, what does it mean to be a Christian? Almost? Everybody would say something, like it means that when I die, I get to go to heaven. Right. That's at least the basic truth. And it's true. Another Bible passage 1st John 5:11 and 12. And this is the testimony. God has given us eternal life. Can you call Jeff in this life, is in his son? He who has the son has life. So it's about eternal life. If you have Jesus, if you receive Jesus, I'm not assuming you have, maybe you're pondering that in trying to figure that out. And that's awesome. But if you have the Bible says, then then you have received eternal life. But even in that verse it says he who has the sun has not we'll have but has it right now and that's what verse three is talking about. You are already raised with Christ. Okay. Now I'm going to give you a couple of phrases that you can pull out when you go to a Christian cocktail party and you and you want to look good as a theologian. So I here's the first race. Realized eschatology. It's a beauty. It's like a buck forward. It's a $2. Phrase realized eschatology, realize means it's already happening. And eschatology the word eschaton means the end. So eschatology is the study of the end realized eschatology means there's something about the waste can be at the end that is realized now. You have been raised with Christ for you died. And your life is now hidden with Christ. There's something about being in Jesus that involves already having died and risen. So that's one phrase for your party realized eschatology. Here's the other phrase which means the same thing already, but not yet.

I think this is a hard thing to wrap your mind around and sociologists haven't really come up with Snappy phrases. I mean this is this is like the best anybody can do already, but not yet. But the kingdom of God is already here. The Bible would say, but the kingdom of God is not yet here in the full sense that it's going to be here. Your salvation is already, here. You are saved in Jesus Christ, but there's a sense in which you are salvation is not completely delivered. Yet. Your Resurrection to life you're being raised to life has already happened. The Bible says, but you're still alive and your physical death hasn't happened. So you have not yet, experienced your Resurrection to life in that sense of the word. Okay. So those are your two theological words, if you want to talk about this with people and you can pull them out all your talking what you're talking about. There is realized eschatology. Or yeah, you're talking about that already. But not yet thing and people will go. She is good. Okay, what does it mean? It means this? When if you receive Jesus, when you receive Jesus, you came to him as your sinful self. I like the picture that I had a, I have a backpack on and in my backpack is my sinful self. So the promises I made to be faithful where I wasn't faithful the times when I should have been kind. But instead I was mean the times and I should have been good. But instead I was bad, the times I should have taken God into account in the picture, and they ignored him completely. All that stuff is in my backpack, in my backpack, stinks in my backpack is heavy, and it's gross. It's like dripping stuff.

And God. Pics. That backpack. Off of me and to my surprise. Just takes me and gets rid of it all. It brings it over to the cross, and it dies with Jesus on the cross, but God hasn't caused me to go out of existence. God raises me up to a new me. And I'm at me now. It's not that I'm going to be that me later. I am, you are. If you receive Jesus, that me right now, that's what Ephesians 3 is talking about. And I think it's hard to get your mind around it. So I'm saying try to embrace that. If you receive Christ, you've already died and been raised with him. So how do you do that? The one thing that's helpful to me is to memorize memorize something and one verse that you could memorize to help, you would be this one that we're reading Colossians 3:1. Therefore, since you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated, at the right hand of God, if you could memorize Colossians 3 verse 1. So that it's always with you, no matter where you are or no matter what time of night, it is when you wake up fretting about something. It's one way to help yourself Embrace this. So that's what we're talking about. Let's go on to see what else is in this. Passage. The next Eddie is at since that's your present reality. And since that your ultimate destination. How can it be both things, present reality and ultimate destination. Well, that's the already. But not yet thing since raised with Jesus, is your present reality and your ultimate destination. The Bible says set your mind and your heart there. How do you do that? Wouldn't you be like us? So Heavenly minded that you are. No earthly, good. John, would you mow the lawn? No, I can't. Because I'm setting my mind where Jesus is at the right hand of the father. John, are you going to go to work? We got to pay the bills? I'm setting my mind on things above where Christ is seated, at the right hand of God. Could you give me a hand here? I need a hand to help me. Sorry, I can't help you because I'm, I'm, you know, setting my heart in my mind in the right place. I don't think that's what Paul was calling people to do, because if you look at Paul himself, he he was a get it done, human being, he's traveling everywhere. He's willing to risk, anything. He gets beat up. He gets flog, he gets stoned almost to death, and he gets up, and he goes after it again. He, he made his living making tents while he proclaimed the gospel. So he was not in an anyway Idol, but he, he did. All of that. With his mind understanding that his location is with Jesus, at the right hand of God. I think that what this is about, is another verse in Colossians chapter 4, verse 17. I think it's forever 17. I might be wrong about Which chapter, but it is 4:17 and whatever you do weather in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God the Father through him since you have been raised with Christ, set your heart and your mind there. It doesn't mean don't make money. It doesn't mean don't get involved in the Justice issues of the day and be passionate about them. It doesn't mean don't mow the lawn, don't fill the dishwasher. Don't do the laundry. It means. Do all of that stuff. In the presence of God and do all of that stuff. Understanding how how it's in a way temporary. Your? Cousin reality is you live in the presence of Jesus and your ultimate destination is your heading for life with Jesus. So make all these decisions that you have to make about the things you're doing with that. End in mind. That mindset takes effort. So I think that leads to the next part. Be Resolute in this because this life you live is hidden with Christ right now. I think this is super helpful. The reason it's hard to embrace is because this life is hidden. It's not obvious people who are not Believers in, Jesus aren't going to see this at all. So if you're trying to describe to somebody while you're making the choices that you're making, don't expect them to get it. If if they don't even believe that that this stuff is true about Jesus or if they're trying to figure it out themselves in and not there yet. I'm yeah, they're just not they're not going to be able to go there with you. It's going to be hidden as far as they're concerned. That I think it's also hidden from you. You look at your body and you go. Body, I'm living in sure doesn't look like a resurrection body. You know, I get migraines. My digestive tract is irritable. Let's see what else. You know, I feel worn out all the time. I was driving down a Cedar Springs Road, and I saw a beat-up car under a tree in the backyard. And I thought, you know, sometimes I feel like that car out there so

you look at yourself your physical self and you say, I sure don't feel like I'm raised to the right hand of Jesus. But you also look at your behavior of self, right? And you'll see the your behaviors and you'll just realized my behaviors. Don't look like, I'm risen with Jesus. My Rebellion, is there my ignoring is there, right? All that stuff? That was in that backpack. I just grabbed. I still see remnants of it and and Satan. Will whisper in your ear. You are not. Raised with Christ, you are in the mud with me. So just give up trying because you are in the mud with me and here's where resolve is required. It takes resolution to look Satan in the eye and say, get out of here in the name of Jesus and it takes Faith to embrace that. God looks at me. Without seeing that backpack and that person that died with Jesus. And when he looks at me, he sees the new person that I am raised in Jesus Christ. It takes some resolution to believe that by faith into live as if it's true.

And the end of the story. Is talked about at the end of these verses and I've put the verbs Marvel and rejoice there because I it seems to me. That's what we should do with this note. Marvel and rejoice that when Christ returns for all the world to see your life with him will be obvious to you and everyone. Or to put it differently more like it's in the text when Christ returns when Christ appears your life with him, will also appear. Who's going to be more surprised on that day? Somebody who who'd, you know, just didn't think that this day was a thing and was going to come or you having believed it as much as you could. But now seeing yourself there in the family of Jesus and just marveling that that could possibly be Philippines, Chapter 2 talks about the day. It says that because of Jesus humbling himself and giving his life on the cross. Therefore God exalted him and gave him the name. That is above every name in heaven and on Earth and under the Earth, so that it, I'm sorry so that every knee will bow in heaven and on Earth and under the Earth. And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God, the Father, there seems to be a moment where every part of the creation. Whether they were the enemies of God or on the side of God must bend the knee and confess. Jesus Christ is Lord, and when that day at piers, If you are in him, you will appear.

I've been thinking about conspiracy theories.

They may get called conspiracy theories by the enemies of this Theory. So usually calling something a conspiracy theory is a put-down and I think there are like Progressive, conspiracy theories and conservative conspiracy theories, but I have a few friends who are quite invested in in, what would be called a conspiracy theory, which is that there is a small group of elite who are manipulating the world right now because this group of Elites wants to control us all it, involves finding the population with diseases and

Stuff.

If I knew the truth, I would tell you what I think is the truth. And you know what? That might be true. I don't know that it's not true. Do you know whether it's absolutely true or not? So, What I've been thinking about conspiracy theories is, if we don't know whether they're true or not. How do we live as a Christian? And and this is what I see. There is no. Person or power that has the ability to interfere with your present reality in the presence of Jesus. At the right hand of God, and there is no one anywhere who will ever be able to interfere with your ultimate destination. Race with Jesus at the right hand of God. so, I think we ought to. Be passionate about Justice. We ought to March when there's something to March about, we ought to advocate for the the principles that we think are important to advocate for. But if you are like just weighed down with this, with the conspiracy that you see, Maybe you're giving it too much power. Because it's not that powerful.

There is no one powerful enough to interfere if there's a world power, that's making something happen that nobody can stop. We just read about it in Colossians chapter 3, you have been raised with Christ. Therefore, set your hearts and Minds on things above where Christ is seated, at the right hand of God. This life is hidden right now with Christ in God, but when Christ, who is your life returns, then your life will also appear.

The Apostle Paul knew that so he was willing to get stoned nearly to death and get back up and walk into the next town and proclaim the gospel again because he thought what if I got to lose? There's nothing. Nobody can take this from me. So I'm willing to go the heroes of the Christian faith across the centuries, have walked in front of bullets and, you know, into floggings and who knows what else? because they, We're living the Resurrection Life. I have this life with Jesus and it can't be taken away from me. And it's my ultimate destination.

We're going to sing a song. This song came to mind in in my journey of trying to think about this and the song is my Jesus. I love thee. My Jesus. I love thee. Has three scenes in it. One scene is you with your backpack of sin in front of God, a second scene. Is you at the end of your life. When when the death Doula is cold on your brow. The third scene is you in heaven. With the glittering.

on your head, and

And there's a very clever course. I didn't realize it was a clever chorus until like this week. The clever course, is if I ever loved you, Jesus. I love you now. But it said that in each of those three scenes. When you got the backpack man keeps his. If I ever loved you. I love you right now. This is the time. It says when you're about to die and you're sensing your life continues with Jesus Jesus, man, if I've ever loved you, I love you right now and then it pictures you and heaven with the with everything and you saying the same thing you said before, if I ever loved you, man. I love you now, so I'm going to pray. We're going to sing it like, we mean it and then we're going to end with the Lord's Supper.

we asked you to, I asked you to Cement in each person's heart. What they needed to get out of this today. In fact, why don't you talk to God? What is God? Say to you this morning? And it what might you want to say to him. Let me just give you a moment of quiet.

We thank you, and we love you. Lord Jesus. Amen.

Stand up. Let's sing it.

Can I see you?

Call.

Jesus.

So I think a good question is, what does it mean about you? If you're a follower of Jesus that you keep coming to this little ritual thing, this stuff where you eat some bread and you drink a little cup, remembering Jesus body, and blood given free. What does that say about you? It says. That you have been raised with Christ and now you're hanging out with Jesus, and it's all in the basis of what he did for you with his body and his blood. And you are here again, doing that same thing again, because this is the life you're living. And this is where the Beauty and the power of that life comes from. So, let's remember how this goes. Paul says, in 1st Corinthians 11:4, I received from the Lord, what I also passed on to you, the Lord Jesus on the night. He was betrayed. So, in the context of being betrayed He took bread and when he had given, thanks, he broke it. so, here's our A front piece of bread and we're picturing that Jesus gave thanks to the Lord. We give you. Thanks for how you provide bread for our life every day and all that's different forms. And here we are again, celebrating this with you and we thank you for the body and the blood of Jesus that are the symbols in front of us.

End. When you're given, thanks, he broke it.

And he said, this is my body, which is, which is given for you do this in remembrance of me.

And then in the same way, after supper, he took the cup and he said this cup is the New Covenant in my blood. Do this whenever you drink it in remembrance of me. Or whenever we drink this cup and eat this bread. We Will you remember the reality we proclaim, the Lord's death until he comes again? So whenever you're ready to take your little packet that you've got and find the bread there and needed in the grape juice there and drink it. And then we'll and yes, if you need more Genies ready to help you.

Let's receive a blessing. You can receive a blessing sitting down or standing up. What, what do you want? Take your pick.

Now to him, who is able to do in measurably more than all we ask, or imagine according to his power, that is at work within us to him, be glory in the church and in Christ, Jesus throughout all generations and forever and ever. And everybody said, amen. You're dismissed.