Good to see you again. Good to
see you. I look forward to the day when
we will gather like this in His presence and never depart again. I sincerely look forward to that
day when we will not have to deal with this world, when we
will not have to deal with the sin that dwells in us, And when
worship will be pure, it'll be pure. I just, we can't grasp
that now. But someday, in a little while,
really, in just a little while, I was saying this to Vicki the
other day, just a little while, and this will be over. And we'll
be with Him. We'll be with the Lord. Turn
to Colossians chapter 3. But until then, Maybe that ought
to be the title of the message. Until then, Colossians chapter
3, seek those things which are above. Until then. Let me read a few
verses here and then we'll pray and then the Lord bless His Word. Colossians chapter 3, if ye then
be risen with Christ, Seek those things which are above, where
Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection, your
mind, on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are
dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who
is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him
in glory. Mortify, therefore, your members which are upon the
earth, fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence,
covetousness, which is idolatry. For which things sake the wrath
of God cometh on the children of disobedience, into which ye
also walked some time when ye lived in them? But now ye also
put off all these, anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication
out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing
that ye have put off the old man with his deeds, and have
put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the
image of him that created him." Not renovated him, created him. It's a new creation. It's not
a renovation, it's a new creation. Where there is neither Greek
nor Jew, Circumcision or uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bond or
free, but Christ is all and in all. Put on therefore as the
elect of God, holy and beloved, vows of mercies. Here's the dress
of the believer. Vows of mercies, kindness, humbleness
of mind, meekness, long-suffering, forbearing one another and forgiving
one another. If any man have a quarrel against
any, even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all
these things put on charity, love, which is the bond of perfectness,
and let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which
ye are also called in one body, and be ye thankful. Let the word
of Christ dwell in you richly, in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing
one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. Sing with
grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever you do, I listened
to a message by my pastor Henry about a week or two ago on this
verse. Outstanding. Just go on and listen
to that. A cure for every problem. That
was the title of it. It was outstanding. And whatsoever
you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.
giving thanks to God and the Father by him. Our Father, which art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name. Thank you, Father, for your word
that we have just read. I pray, Father, that you would
send forth your word this morning in power into our hearts and
instruct us and teach us by Thy Spirit. Enable us to grow in
grace and in knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Father, grant
unto us a true spirit of worship. Enable us this morning to worship
You in spirit and in truth. Thank You for all Your mercies.
They are too numerable to reckon up in order. Thank you for all
the blessings, Father, that you've given us, especially all the
blessings you've given us in Christ. In Him we are complete,
and we thank you for it. In the name of Christ we pray,
and amen. Before God saved me, before He
saved you, what did you seek after? What did you run after? You and I both ran after the
lust of this flesh. We ran after this world. We ran
after careers. I mean, you can just name it.
Whatever was of this world, we ran after it. We sought it. Promotions. But now that God
has saved us, now that God has saved us, there's
a real change. It's a real change in our desires. We don't live in the same kingdom
anymore. We live in the kingdom of God. We've had different principles.
We live under a theocracy. I'm not living so much under
a democracy. I live under a theocracy. The Lord Jesus Christ is the
King, and we seek His will. We follow after Him. And that being so, let's look
at verse 1. If you then be risen with Christ,
if this is so, if there is a real union between you and the Lord
Jesus Christ, God has raised you up in Him. This is real. Seek those things which are above.
Seek Him. At one time, you and I, before
the Lord saved us, we laid out our life to seeking things of
this flesh. But this is not our life no more. This is not my
life. This world's not my life. Christ
is my life. And I'm headed home. This is
not home. I'm headed home. We are on a
journey. We are pilgrims. You know, I live in Asheville
on Gusler Street, but I'm just there temporarily. Just temporarily. I'm headed
to glory. That's my hope in Christ. I'm
headed there. But until I get there, until
this body gets there, he says to set your mind Your
heart. Your affection. Let it be set
on things above. That's what he tells us to do.
Where Christ sitteth. Christ is the focal point. Jesus
Christ is the focus of our affections. He's our Lord. He's our Redeemer. He's our God. He's our husband. He said, set your affection.
As I get older, this I find more and more and more. I find that
I want that relationship with Christ now. I want my affections,
my desires, and my heart to be set on Christ now. I want to
be obsessed with Jesus Christ now. Now. That's what it tells us. Lay
out your life to this. I know we have to go to work.
I know that, but they don't have to have my heart, my affection, my mind absolutely
consumed on what am I going to eat? What am I going to drink?
What am I going to wear? I love what the Lord said. Is
not life more than these? I tell you what, if it's not,
you've got a problem. If life is not more than what
you're going to eat, what you're going to drink, what you're going
to wear, where you're going to live, how you're going to retire,
you've got a problem. You've missed Him. He said life,
the Gentiles seek after all these things. They seek after the comforts
of this life, and they have no thoughts of the life to come.
They have no thoughts of God. God is not in their thoughts. That's why our Lord said, Cheeky
first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. And these
things, what things? Whatever you need. Believe me,
it takes... I'm learning this. I'm learning
this. And this takes a while. I've
got a thick head. It takes a while to learn the
important things. the most important things. Mary
chose that one thing that was needful. That one thing that's
needful is my relationship with Jesus Christ. That's it. That's it. Everything else can
just get in line, right? It just get in line. So seek those things which are
above. When Abraham was called to go out from the land of the
early Chaldees, What was he looking for? Was he looking for another land
like that, that he just left? The Scripture says he was looking
for a city whose builder and maker is God. That's what he
was looking for. He wasn't looking for just another
location on the earth. He was looking for a city whose
builder, the king of it, is God. The builder of it is God. That's
what he was looking for. As I said, we are just strangers
here. The scripture says we are strangers
and pilgrims on this earth. Our real home is where the Lord
is. And if everything we seek is above, if everything we seek
is above, we won't have to be so worried and anxious about
losing any of it. If everything I seek and if that
which has my heart If it is above where Christ sits at God's right
hand, whatever I lose is really not a loss. Really. Paul said, I count all things
as loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus
my Lord. Nothing is to be compared to that. Nothing. We won't be so tore up when we
lose everything here below. And you know what? You're going
to lose it. You just mark it down. Everything, every relationship
that I have that's not in Christ, I'm going to lose. There's going
to come a time when I'm not going to be the father of my two sons.
That relationship is going to be severed. The relationship
I had with my wife one day is going to be severed. As far as
this earthly life is. Now our relationship in Christ
will go on and on and on. Our relationship is forever in
Christ. But now everything you are working for, everything you've
set your hands to in this life that has to do with this life,
God's going to burn it up. Does that upset you? Does that
upset anybody? You've got a problem. I know a man. I know a man who
claims to believe the gospel. There's one thing he did in life.
He sold a piece of land years ago, 40, 45, 50 years ago. And to this day, he keeps complaining
about why he sold that land, why he sold it. I told him not
too long ago, I said, it's a good thing you did. At least you know
now what had your heart. Just let it go. Just let it go. Whatever it is, just let it go.
Christ is the only thing worth hanging on to. Christ is the
only... He's the one that we lay hold of eternal life. He's the one. But all other things
are going to be cut off and gone. Seek those things which are above. Those are the things that are
going to last forever. Those are the things that's going
to grow. The things above are all those things that God's given
us in Christ. Peace, pardon, forgiveness, reconciliation,
righteousness. Seek it from Him. Seek those
things from Him. How real is Jesus Christ to you? How real? How real is this to
you? This is not like Greek mythology
here. This is not a fairy tale. I'm
telling you something that's real. I'm telling you of a person
that's real. I'm telling you of a person that's
seated at God's right hand and absolutely running and ruling
everything right now. Right now. And he says, seek those things
which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of
God. We're not just looking for the things above, but we're seeking
him who is above. Seeking him. And notice where
he's seated, on God's right hand. God's right hand. A man. A man, a real man. Flesh and bones. A real man. is seated, not an angel. There
is not an angel seated at God's right hand. There is a real man,
our representative, our brother, our high priest, that is seated
at God's right hand right now making intercession for us and
running this thing for His glory and our good. Now, what better
noose can you get, huh? There is no better noose. That's the best news that we
can have this morning. He's running this thing for,
he's growing our good. You say you don't like what's
going on in Washington. You know what troubles me? This is what
really troubles me as I get older here. It really troubles me that
people, we call ourselves believers. And we do, there are people who
believe. that we get more upset with what's going on in the kingdom
of men than in the kingdom of God. There's a problem with that. There's a problem that I am more
upset over what's going on on CNN than I am with what's being
preached in pulpits. We live in another kingdom. We
live in the kingdom of God. He says, set your minds there. Let your mind dwell there. Now,
my body will dwell there later. When I die, this body is resurrected,
but my mind and my heart can be there where the Lord is right
now. Right now. Set your heart. And I tell you what, you older
people here, keep reminding the younger ones of this. Keep reminding
the younger ones, the younger believers, to set their heart
on things above, because it's easy to get wrapped up. It's
easy to get, and I tell you what, if you do set your mind on things
above, it's not so easy to get tripped up. It's not easy to
get tripped up if your mind is on the things above. And I'll
tell you this, Solomon said this, as a man thinketh in his heart,
so is he. What your heart is set on is
who you are. That's who I am. What my heart
is set on, what my affection is set on, that's who I am. If my heart is set on Him, it's
evident I'm born of God. That's not natural. That's just
not natural. Set your affection, your mind
on things above where the Lord sits, at God's right hand. Continually do it every day.
Every day. And we have to do this every
day. We have to do this when we get up in the morning. This
is a determination. This is a determination. It's
to continually check my mind. Paul tells us in one place to
bring every thought into captivity to Christ. Every thought that
passes through my mind, don't let it go unchecked. Don't let
it go unchecked. He says, bring it into captivity
to Christ. Because unchecked thoughts sooner
or later become actions. Sooner or later they become actions.
I am responsible for what passes through here. I am. God's given us a brilliant mind.
He's given us a mind. Set it on things above. He says here in verse 10, And
you put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge. God's
given you... God's given you a real knowledge
of Christ and of Himself and of us. He said you've been renewed
in knowledge after the image of Him that created you. This
is not a renovation going on here. This is a new creation. And that new man feeds on Christ. That new man, his heart is to
be set on Christ. That new man, is of the Lord. And he feeds
on the Lord. He feeds on the Lord. Not on the things of this earth. These things have their proper
place, their proper time, and we use them, not abuse them. We have them, don't let them
have us. I know this from owning a business.
I know this from owning a business. People talk about owning a business.
It's going to own you. It's going to own you. It's going
to grab you. That's what I'm saying. We have to learn
to use these things, not abuse these things, but don't let them
have us. Don't let them have us. Don't set your heart on earthly
materials and pleasures like you used to. Like you used to. Because you're not the same no
more. You're not the same. Settle on
Him. Settle on Christ. For you are
dead. I know I'm not going to make
it through this. You are dead. And your life is hid with Christ
in God. You're dead. When did I die?
When did that happen? You are dead. When did that happen?
When did I die? We died in Christ 2,000 years
ago, when he was put to death at Calvary. As far as God's concerned,
we died before the foundations of the world. But when Christ
died at Calvary, every one of his sheep died. That's a death. I will not experience. That's over with. That death
is gone. I've never experienced that death. My body, listen,
my body is going to experience a death. This body has to go
back to the grave. It's no good. It's full of sin. It's just corrupt. This body has to experience death.
I'm not going to experience death. I'm going to experience life.
Because I live, you shall live also. I'm going to experience
life in its fullness, in its abundance. I'm not going to experience
death. Just this body is going to. But
when this body takes its last breath, I'll be in the presence
of God. I'll be in the presence of God. The Lord Jesus Christ experienced
the death I needed to die. He experienced it. And that's
over. That's over. Death, where do
you stay? The grave, where's your victory? Gone. Gone. The Lord Jesus Christ took it
away. You're dead in your life, your real life. What is your
real life? When you think about your life, people, they like
to look back on their life and see their accomplishments. I'd
rather look on life and see his accomplishments. When we see his accomplishments,
That's when we really see life. It's not when I look back. Forgetting those things which
are behind, as we said this morning. Forgetting those things which
are behind. There's a lot of things behind. I love to forget.
I hope to forget. And I don't want them to forget
me. But look, reaching forth. That's
the life of a believer. Always reaching forth to Christ.
Always going forth. He's the mark. Jesus Christ is
the mark. He's the finish line. He's the
finish line. The goal, the goal of a believer
is to be with Him. Is to be with Him. And get rid
of this old body of sin and death. I won't say another stupid thing.
I will not say another stupid thing, or do another stupid thing,
or sinful thing, or wretched thing. That'll all be gone. And one day I'll be a genius,
and you will too, because we'll have the mind of Christ. We'll
literally be a genius, like Adam was the first time. First Adam,
but the second Adam. Even the first Adam had limited
knowledge, but not the second one. The second was God. Infinite in knowledge, infinite
in wisdom, infinite. Oh, your life is hid with Christ
in God, that precious life. And when Christ, who is our life,
shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory. You
know, our Lord has said to be here, our life, our life. I shouldn't even think about
life apart from Christ. Really? Shouldn't even think
about it. Because I don't have life part from Him. I don't have
it. Not real life, not spiritual
life, not the life of God. Not the life of God. Christ is the author of our life,
He's the sustainer of it, and He's the glory of it. So if I
think about life, I have to think about Him. He said, I'm the way, the truth,
and the life. If I have Christ, I have eternal
life. You see, it's not so much that He gives it to me, though
He does. It's the possession of Him. Him possessing me. Is Christ in you? I mean, I'm
looking at some people here who believe God, but I'm looking
at some people who are the temple of God. And Jesus Christ is really
in you? Get a hold of that. That's what
we need to get a hold of, you know. That's what we need to
get a hold of. We need to get a hold of Him
and our relationship to Him. I believe God chose a people.
I believe that. I believe that Christ died to
save those people. I believe that. I believe in particular redemption.
I believe in the irresistible grace of God that He effectually
calls us. I believe that. But my real concern
is my relationship to him daily. Peter, do you love me? He didn't
say, Peter, do you believe me? Do you believe the doctrine?
He said, do you love me? That's a relationship. Do you love me?
I'm not so concerned. When I was a young man, I was
afraid of dying and going to hell. Now I'm more concerned with the
hell that's still in me. It's not so much forgive me Lord
what I've done, forgive me for what I am. Paul didn't say I've done some
wretched things. He said I am a wretch. There's a difference. There's a difference when you
just, you want forgiveness of some things you've done or if
you want forgiveness of what you are. A wretch saved a wretch
like me. A real difference. And he shall appear. When he
shall appear, you'll also appear with him in glory. And you and
I are not going to just behold his glory, though we will. We
are going to be partakers of it. Partakers of the divine nature. Just like God, just like him.
I'm telling you things we can believe, but you can't grasp
with this mind. You can't do it. It's just too
much. It's too much. Now, seeing that this is so,
and I'm going to just be brief here. Seeing this is so, if you're risen with Christ,
seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right
hand of God. Set your affections on things above, not on things
of this earth. For you are dead, and your life is hid with Christ
in God. And when Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall
you also appear with him in glory. But until then, mortify. discipline, deadening, put the deadening, the sins of this flesh. When
you read this, does it not make you just cringe that these things
are still in you and you have to mortify these things? Fornication? Uncleanness? Inordinate affection,
evil desires, evil concupiscence, and covetousness. Love of self
more than God is what that really comes down to. Covetousness.
You love yourself more than you love God. That's still in me. Far more than we want to admit.
Far more than we want to admit. Don't make provisions for the
flesh to fulfill the lust thereof. Because that old man, he's crucified,
but he's still there. He's still there. And the things
of this world still attract him. They're still attractive, aren't
they? I mean, you still, you fight it. Here, listen. Verse
five is where the warfare is. You've got that new man created
of God. You've got that old man in there.
You've got that old fornicator in there. He's still in there.
You've got that old uncleanness in there. You still got that
old inordinate affection there, that old evil concupiscence and
covetousness. These things are still present.
And he says, discipline. Discipline. Discipline yourselves. Don't give in to these things
and don't make provisions Don't put yourself in a situation where
these things raise their ugly head and you're in trouble. Just
flee every appearance of evil. The scriptures are so plain.
It's just so plain. Flee them. Put him off, he says
here, put off. For which thing's sake the wrath
of God comes on the children of disobedience? in which you
also walked at some time. Don't look down your nose at
those who still do these things. Oh, I tell you, pray for them.
Pray for them. I was telling someone not too long
ago, before I was preaching a message, I said, I don't have trouble
believing in election. What I struggle with is praying for those who
despitefully use me. I said, that's my struggle. My
struggle is loving my enemies. That's where I seem to have this
trouble. Oh my, how's that going? How's loving your enemies going? How's that working out for you?
That's the real fight. That's the real fight. I know
you believe the doctrines of grace. I know that. Your pastor
is a faithful pastor. Faithful to the gospel. But I'm
telling you where I struggle at is praying for those who despitefully
use me. If someone asks for my coat,
give me my cloak also. I was driving down the road,
oh, it's been years ago, and I had someone with me, and it
was a beggar, a beggar on the corner, on a ramp getting on
the interstate. And the person that was with
me cranked the window down and screamed at him, get a job. Well, some years had gone by,
and I look back now and I think, I don't know what that man's
life was like. I don't know what hardships he's
gone through. I don't know why he's standing on that corner
begging. Maybe he can't get a job. Maybe he can't. Those are the things I struggle
with. But don't make any provisions
for the old man. Put him off. Put him off. But
put on the new man. Put on that new man. When you
got up this morning, you got all dressed, you got dressed,
you cleaned up. You look good. You look good. What kind of attitude did you
put on though? What kind of attitude did you come with? Huh? What kind of dress did that man
put on this morning? Seek ye first, I'm going to go
ahead and have to quit. Seek ye first the Kingdom of
God and His righteousness. Set your heart, your affection
on things above. Where our Lord sits, right now,
at God's right hand. Whew! This is real. I'm telling you something's real.
Alright.