The Resurrected Life – Glorification (Col 3:1-17)

 Sermon for Milledgeville and Centenary UMC...

[Title] The Resurrected Life – Glorification (Col 3:1-17)

 

When Christ, who is your life, appears,
then you also will appear with him in glory.
Colossians 3:4

Jesus said unto Peter "Come forth and win eternal glory"

But Peter came in fifth and won a toaster

 

I bring you the glory of dad jokes! What do you call the pope of dad jokes? The chief puntificator.

 

[Slide] Let’s review The Way of Salvation.

 

God calls us from the bench into the Way that leads to glory. First, we must connect with the gospel, believing that Jesus canceled our debts and washed away our sins in his blood. You are justified in God’s eyes because of Jesus’ sacrifice. Nothing stands between you and God’s glory except your old sinful self.

 

Paul writes,

those whom God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son… (Romans 8:29)

 

Just as home plate is the goal of every baseball player, becoming like Jesus in thought, word and deed is the destiny of every follower of Jesus. God’s sanctifying grace is leading us to home plate, our glorification, our union with Christ.

The apostle Peter wrote, [Slide]

God’s divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. (2^nd Peter 1:3-4)

God has given us everything we need for a godly life. God calls us by His own glory and goodness, enabling us to participate in God’s divine nature. And what is God’s divine nature, but glory?! Romans 3:23 states the human problem. [Slide]

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Sin separates us from God. [Slide] The good news is God acted to save us from our fallen state through the death and resurrection of Jesus.

In Romans 8, Paul tells us that we are beloved children. [Slide]

Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. (Romans 8:17)

God has given us everything we need to share in His glorious divine nature, by pouring His Spirit into our hearts. We must learn to live by the Spirit, so that we share in God’s glory until we reach glorification, complete union with Jesus.

[Slide] What is glory? We speak of glory as the upmost of the uppermost, the best of the best. We speak of glory as fame and popularity. Generals speak of the glory of battle, the courage and selflessness of the soldier.

The Bible uses two words translated as glory. [Slide] The Hebrew, kabad, means honor, abundance, dignity, splendor and reputation.

[Slide] The Greek for glory is doxa, meaning opinion or esteem, splendor or brightness, magnificence and majesty, excellence, the most exalted state.

When I think of God’s glory, I think of blinding light. [Slide] 1^st Timothy 6:16 says that God lives in unapproachable light.

Our minds cannot fully comprehend the glory of God, especially when our minds are obsessed with what’s going on down here in the so-called real world. [Slide]

You hear people talk about the real world. “Well, down here in the real world.., blah blah blah.” They mean for you get your head out of the clouds, to abandon lofty ideals. But Paul says just the opposite. [Slide] Our real lives are hidden in Christ. Our truest lives are shrouded in heavenly mystery, only to be revealed when Christ makes His appearance at the end of days. When Christ appears, we shall appear with Him in glory!

[Slide] Yes, God lives in mind-blowing splendor and majesty. But the definition of glory that interests me most is excellence. God’s glory is excellence and excellence is a glory to God. Excellence is our best, our upmost for the Most High. [Slide] Excellence, in human terms, is Jesus Christ. He is the best of us. Though he was tempted by sin in every way, Jesus never behaved sinfully. (Hebrews 4:15) He left the glory of heaven to walk among us, but he kept God’s glory in His heart and never strayed. You could say that Grace is our journey toward excellence in Jesus Christ.

Paul begins his letter to the Colossians with high Christology. [Slide]

Jesus is the image of the invisible God! (1:15)

All the fullness of God was pleased to dwell in Jesus. (1:19)

Jesus is the best of us precisely because He is God in human flesh.

Christ is the supreme head of the Church. He is head over every power and authority. (1:18; 2:10) Stay connected to the head and God will grow us in Christlike character.

Paul tells us why Christ matters. [Slide]

In Christ, all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ (2:9-10)

I love the symmetry of that verse! Fullness here means complete, total, to the brim. In other words, all of God lives in Christ, completely, and now that Christ lives in us through faith, we are made complete. We are made full, whole, because Jesus brings the complete blessings of God, when He takes up residence in our hearts.

[Slide] How do we pursue glorification? [Slide] It requires a change in our self-identity, a shift in focus, and a change in behavior.

Colossians 3 asserts a Christian identity.

[Slide] Since you have been raised with Christ… (Col 3:1) 

When I look in the mirror, I’m thinking “You really need to eat a salad and hit the gym.” When you look in the mirror I’ll bet you’re not saying to yourself, “I am raised with Christ.” “I am a new creation!” “I am living in Christ’s glory!” No, that’s Biblese. Only preachers talk like that!

But that’s exactly what we should be thinking about ourselves! We died with Christ to the influence of sin and selfish ways in our baptism. We are raised with Christ into new life, a new life that leads to glory, completeness, fullness.

Remember God has given us all we need for life and godliness so that we may participate in His divine nature. What we need to reach the glorious heights of God’s goodness is already in us. God placed it there. We are made in God’s image. In sin, we have fallen from God’s glory. In Christ, God has freed us to pursue His glorious goodness.

Paul tells us not only to change how we think about ourselves, but to change what we are thinking about. We got a new identity. Now we need a new focus.

[Slide] …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. Col 3:1-2)

That sounds like sticking your head in the clouds, doesn’t it? I mean we have to live in the real world, right? [Slide]

“Shut up!”

The real world is your new life in Christ! [Slide] You are raised above this so-called real world to a higher plane of existence. Be heavenly minded.

Now that doesn’t mean you ignore danger, or the opportunities to do good in this world. When Jesus sent out His disciples he told them,

 “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore, be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” (Matthew 10:16)

We must practice God’s wisdom, not the twisted values of this world. Satan tempted Jesus with worldly desires. The devil tempted Jesus to satisfy the cravings of the flesh. He tempted Jesus with power and immense wealth. That’s the way of the world.

But Paul tells us, ^“you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” You died to this world that is passing way. You died to selfishness. You died to keeping up with the Joneses. You died to Kardashian vanity! You died to setting your hearts on empty diversions. You died to all that. Now live your new life in Christ and for Christ.

[Slide] 2^nd Corinthians 5:15 says,

Christ died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

Set your mind on things above.

Change the way you think about yourself. You are raised with Christ. Christ is your life. Look heavenward in anticipation of glory.

[Slide] When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:4)

[Slide] Change your self-understanding. You are raised with Christ into new life. Change your focus. Set your minds on the glory of heaven. And, reflecting your new life in Christ, change your behavior. Take off the old selfish, sinful, worldly ways. Put on the new way of Jesus.

[Slide] Put to death whatever in you is earthly, things like sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed. Put off falsehood, anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language.

Clothe yourselves in the new self. Put on love, compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Forgive others as Christ has forgiven you. Dress in the peace that comes from knowing Jesus who won us peace with God. And live in gratitude.

[Slide] Are you going on to glory? Then practice glory. God has given you everything you need to pursue excellence in Jesus Christ. Repent of sinful and self-centered ways. Live in loving, selfless, godly ways.

We will share in Christ’s glory when we learn to suffer with Christ, struggling to adopt our new excellent way of life in Christ.

[Slide] I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. (Romans 8:18)

[Slide] Bart Millard has blessed millions of lives with his song I Can Only Imagine. His song came out of suffering. Bart had an abusive father. He carried a lot of pain, anger, and resentment. It soiled his relationships. When his father became deathly ill, Bart put aside his anger and chose compassion. He poured love out to his father. He watched his father change too.

His father died, but not before Christ had healed their relationship. Bart looks to the day when he stands before the Lord in glory.

[Slide]

Surrounded by Your glory what will my heart feel?

Will I dance for you, Jesus, or in awe of you be still

Will I stand in Your presence or to my knees will I fall

Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all?

I can only imagine.

 

[Slide] No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind can conceive what God has prepared for those who love Him. (1^st Corinthians 2:9)

Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!