Who lives, we know, in heaven
above. There is faith in the land, I
believe in thee. I've had a happy time in heaven
above. In grace, I've learned, I've
learned the ways of God. We ain't in heaven above. Thank you. This message is a follow-up to Sunday's message,
I believe. I didn't intend it, but I believe
the Lord did. I hope we always, as we considered
Sunday, consider our latter end. Because that will always put
everything in its proper light. Everything and everyone. Consider
our ladder in. We have here no continuing city. No continuing city. All of us
are getting older rapidly. We're not going to be here very
long at all. For that matter, our Lord said,
don't even think about tomorrow. We don't even know if there will
be tomorrow. Now, here is another strong exhortation
to all the saints. He says in verse 1, if ye then
be risen with Christ. Now, back in chapter 2, verses
12 and 13, it says you're risen with him through the faith the
operation of God, which raised him from the dead, and you being
dead in your sins, and uncircumcised in your flesh, hath be quickened."
Does that sound like Ephesians 2, 1? It is. And you, who were dead, hath
be quickened. That means to be made alive unto
God in Christ. Well, as you were once dead to
God, and very much alive to the things of this world, and nothing,
no word from God could have any effect on you, now, he says,
you're dead to the world and alive unto God. If so, if you
are risen, if it truly has happened. So he says in verse one, if that
be the case, if you then be risen with Christ, quicken, seek those
things which are above. What things? Where Christ sits. on the right hand of God. Seek those things which are above. The word seek means to look for,
it means to follow after, it means to desire, it means to
go after, it means to try to apprehend. Seek those things
above, things above. Things above what? Above this
cesspoop. That's a good name for this world,
it really is. Cesspoop, slob to spawn, is what
he calls it. Vanity fair, he also calls it. Vanity fair, it seems to delight. Now, over in John chapter 8,
our Lord, it says, he said to some Pharisees, some people,
he said, verse 23, you are from beneath, I am from above. You are of this world, I am not
of this world. How could you tell? He looked
like a man, didn't he? Because he truly was above. So
he had his feet planted on the ground, his heart, his mind,
his affection. Nothing could influence him. Nothing. Can you imagine that? He was totally untamed by anything
or anyone. Totally uninfluenced. this world,
I'm not of this world. You're from below, beneath. I'm
from above. He tells us that our affection
on things above, and in particular, Christ, where Christ sits. And we saw that in Psalm 73,
isn't it? Verse 25? The writer, Asaph,
David, whoever it was, It doesn't matter. It was a child of God. How do you know? Because they
said, whom have I in heaven but thee? You know, that's the real
test of people who call themselves Christians. What is a Christian? A Christian is a lover of Christ.
A Christian is a believer in Christ. A Christian is a follower
or a disciple of Christ. So what is it that the Christian
wants? Christ. Why does the Christian
want to go to heaven? To see Christ. To be with Christ. When the Christian comes to the
house of worship, what is it they desire to do? Worship Christ. Hear of Christ. That's a real
simple definition of a Christian. That's the litmus test. See,
that's the test. What is a Christian? He's one
who's satisfied with nothing but Christ. Trusts no one but Christ. His salvation is all in Christ.
Isn't that very simple? That puts everybody to the test.
Well, he says, set your affection on things above where Christ
is. And that same writer said, whom have I in heaven but thee?
And then listen. What else did he say? There's
none on earth I desire beside this. Let's listen to the apostle
Paul. He said, For me to live, that is, for me to continue on
this earth, is what? Christ. Oh, that I might win
Christ and be found in him, know him. Well, he tells us the same
thing, exhorts us to the same thing. Set your affection, that
is, your mind also, The effect involves the mind and the heart on things above. Now, how? How
do we set our affection or our mind on things? How is that possible? It tells us that, but it exhorts
us to do that, but how? Go to Proverbs 16 with me. Proverbs
16. How is it that we set our affection
on things above our mind. Now look here, I want to look
at three different verses in Scripture concerning this. Proverbs 16, you have it? Verses 1 through
3. The preparation of the heart in man, and the answer of the
tongue is from the Lord. In other words, God does not
give us a new heart. Our affection will not be sat
on things above, right? We're dead in sin until God quickens,
gives us new life. That's just the fact. Freedom.
All the ways of man are clean in his own eye, but the Lord's
way of the Spirit. Commit thy works unto the Lord,
and thy thoughts shall be established. Now go to Philippians. Philippians
chapter 4. Philippians chapter 4. Did not
our Lord say, without me, you can do nothing? Didn't he say
that? Without me, you can do nothing.
I believe it was the Apostle Paul who said, we're not sufficient
to even think anything of ourselves. Our sufficiency is of God. Philippians 4, look at this,
verses 6 and 7. Be careful, that is full of anxious
care. anxiety for nothing. But in everything,
by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request
be made known unto God, and the peace of God, which passeth all
understanding, shall keep your hearts and mine." Through Christ
Jesus. What's he saying? In everything, by prayer and
supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known
unto God, and he'll give you that You knew that already. I quote
that all the time, seeing you know these things already, seeing
you know these things before. But so, we ask, we seek, we knock. That's why the Lord tells us
to pray without ceasing. We ask, we seek, we knock. We
say, Lord, set my affections on things above. keep my mind from this from that
and set my mind my heart on things. Without him we can do. How do
we set our affective asking him to do it. No matter no matter of resolve
on our part will do it. Lay not to the arm of the flesh
no matter where I'm going to do it today you can't do it and
that I can do all things. How, John? You love that scripture,
don't you? Through Christ, which strengthens me. So that's how. The affection is in the heart
and the mind. Scripture says, as a man thinketh
in his heart. So it involves both, but whatever's
in your heart's what you think about. Now, he says in our text, set
your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. Now,
he's not forbidding us to think on or do those things which we
must do to make ends meet and so forth. Right? He's not telling us to neglect
our, he's not telling us to sell everything we have and live in
a cave somewhere and renounce everything and And that's what
chapter 2 was talking about. Did you read that? These fellows
who have this voluntary will worship neglecting the body and
so forth. That's those religious monks and so forth. That's what
that's talking about. There are things that God has
given us richly, scripture says, all things to enjoy. You parents, do you want your
children to enjoy the gifts you give them? Well, certainly. Certainly you do. Do you want
them to be consumed with them? No. To the point of forgetting
everybody and everything and forgetting what's important,
do you want your children to prosper? Do you want your children
to have good jobs and homes? Of course you do. There's nothing
wrong with that. Do you want them to be totally career-minded? And just not be happy until they
move up the corporate. Things are lawful God-given things
are not evil. Food, raiment, shelter, family,
friends, even innocent recreation. Do you allow your children to
play? Of course you do. Yet, he says, don't set your
heart, your desire on these things, because you need to remember.
We need to remember. We need to remember. We need to remember. There is no lasting happiness
in any of these things. If riches increase, set not your heart on them, the
psalms say. And they do increase. Everybody in here is rich and
increased with goods. But if riches increase, set not
your heart on them. Don't live to procure them. Don't
live to keep them. But you can't. We can't. Forgive me for saying you. It's
we. All right? Nothing and no one
will give any lasting happiness. Everyone in here will attest
to the fact that when you have your heart set on something,
your mind set on something, as soon as you get it, it immediately
loses its luster. And the longer you have it, it's
like, why was I so intent on getting that? Why is it that
I didn't think I could live without that? Isn't it true? It doesn't matter what it is
or who it is. Christ is the only one worth
giving your life to and for. He really is. And His people,
now, when we talk about Christ, His body is Him. We talk about
relationships, nurturing relationships. Friends, it's good to be a friend.
It's good to be a good neighbor. It's good to be this and that
and the other. It's good to be a good citizen, all of that. But all
of those relationships are going to cease. It's good to be a good
husband and father and so forth. The only relationships that will
continue are with Christ in them. These are the ones. Give your
life in the service of God's people. Why? Because you're going
to see them forever. You're going to be with them
forever. Be with them forever. So when he talks about Christ,
he's also talking about God's people. See that? And you, he
said, love your brother and set your affection on things. Christ,
love your brother as yourself. He that loveth one of thee loveth
me and so forth. All right. Verse three, he says,
set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
You are dead. You're dead. You're dead. Now, this is hard to understand,
but seeing you know these things already, go over to Galatians
2. Somebody who's not experienced
this quickening will not understand that. Galatians 2, you're dead. You, that is the old man, natural
man, he's dead. Galatians 2, verse 20. I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live. Go over
to chapter six. Chapter six, look at this. This
is good. Now, this is some people's favorite
verse, one of them. Verse fourteen. It says, God
forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus
Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto thee, and I unto
the world. I'm David. Crucified. Put on the cross. Romans 6 says
it, Reckon ye yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive
unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. What does it mean to be dead?
Well, I've given you this illustration before, but it's the best I've
ever heard. My father is the one that I first heard it from,
my pastor. He said, go down the, he's talking
about a dead man, go down to the cemetery and there's a grave. And stand over that grave and
begin to flatter that man in that grave. Tell him what a great
man he is. Tell him what a wonderful man
he is. What a good man he is. Tell him what a handsome man
he is. Tell him how much everybody needs him. Tell him how talented
he is. Just brag on him all you wish.
What's he going to do? How's he going to respond? He's
not. All right, turn it around. Cuss
him out. Tell him what a rotten, no good
scoundrel he is. No good, low life. What's he
going to do? He's not already gone. He's dead. Offering something,
all the riches of the world. What's he going to do? He's dead. That's a pretty good illustration,
isn't it? Reckon yourselves to be dead
indeed on sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Dead to the applause of this
world? Do you? And I know you do. You don't
seek the applause of this world. I don't think there's anybody
in this room who cares a flip what this world thinks about
you. Who wants to be famous? You might as well forget it anyway.
We're not going to be. The applause of this world. How
about the criticism of this world? It hurts. It hurts. Nobody likes to be hated by the
world. Our Lord promised it would happen.
If it didn't bother him, it didn't. They wanted to make him king
one time, John. He wouldn't let them. And they
wanted to kill him most of the time. That didn't matter. What did it matter? The only
thing that mattered to him, Dan, was what God thought. He was dead, and we're to be
dead to the pursuits of this world. You know what this world
is after. And perhaps you were after those
things at one time. the goals and the aims of this
world, the religion of this world. Sure dead to that and the desire.
Well, he says you're dead and your life is... Boy, this is
a good person, John. Your life is hid with Christ
in God. Aren't you glad that verse is
in the Bible? Your life is hid with Christ
in God. And that means several things.
It means we're hid in Christ, that we're covered by His blood,
we're robed in His righteousness. Our sins, God cannot see. That we're found in him. That we're as he is, so are we. In this world, even right now.
Sinner though I be, not to God. And this also means Your life
is hid with Christ in God. This is talking about your life,
your real life, your true life, life more abundant. It's hid.
That is, you don't even see it for what it is. The world sure
doesn't see it. The scripture says the world
knoweth us not, it knew not him. And we don't even know ourselves.
Because it does not yet appear what we shall be. But it's there. This life is
here. Your life is hid. with Christ, unknown, unseen,
and it talks about the safety of it. If you had a million dollars,
where would you put it? We sold our hats and we had little
money. And I thought, I'm going to put
it in the bank. The banks are liable to collapse. And I'll dig a hole somewhere.
I said, oh, a gopher will get this. What am I going to do with
it? Ain't nothing you can do with it and put it anywhere.
Anything's liable to happen to it. Anything. Well, here it says, your life,
your eternal life, your future, everything is hid with Christ. He has it. What if you could put it somewhere
where it could not be touched? No possible way. Anybody or anything
could get to it. That's where you're lacking.
That makes sense. Aren't you glad He has it? Kellen,
aren't you glad Christ has your soul in His hands? In God. In God's purpose. In
God's mind. Well, it says reckon it to be
so. Now look at verse And I also
thought about this, Melanie, you'll appreciate this. Your
life is hid with Christ in God. It does not yet appear what you
shall be. It does not yet appear what that baby Hudson is. Why? It's hid with Melanie in
Wesley. But someday it's going to come
out, a brand new person. Then we'll know. We'll know. As a child in a womb, we're waiting
to be born. We're waiting to be born. We're
worms now. And someday we're going to be
put in that cocoon, that coffin, that casket, and break forth,
be transformed. In a moment, Scripture says,
we'll be changed. What will we be like? Him. Okay. Now, He says, reckon that
to be so. Keep that in mind. Doesn't that
make everything to be like Watt said, of no luster at all? No luster. And now in verse four,
he said, And when Christ, and you notice I left out the italics,
who is? That was added by a translator.
Whenever you see the italics, you can leave them out without
doing damage. There was something that they
could not pick up in the original text, and so they added what
they thought. But it does not hurt, especially
here. It's a good place to leave it at. When Christ our life shall
appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. When Christ our life Here's a
good definition of a Christian. You hear somebody say, Jesus
is a big part of my life. That's not a Christian. That's
not a disciple. The disciples, the disciples
were good, whom the Lord called were the first examples of Christians. And what were they? sold out
lock, stock, and barrel, their lives centered in, wrapped around,
and revolved around the horses. And in the same way, really,
God's people are, although we work jobs and do what we do out
in the world and so forth, yet our minds are thinking about
it. And we don't order the worship of Christ around our lives. We order our lives around the
worship of Christ. That's the difference. Yes, it is. This
thing of worshiping Christ and being with God's people is like
a husband going home at night. You don't stop and think, am
I going home? No. It's just that's where you
want to be, that's who you want to be with, and that's where
you go. If you're really married and in love, you don't want to
be running around with the boys anymore. You want to be home
with your wife. And this is what happened in the new life. Now, it is or it isn't. I mean,
that's just the way it is. And it's not something we do. There was a time when nothing
could entice me to come in these doors. Nothing, nobody, nothing
they said or did could entice me to come in these doors. I
saw no beauty in Christ that I should desire Him. His people
were not my companions. I thought they were all a bunch
of square old slutty duds. Now, I think all my old cronies
are a bunch of them. These are my buddies. I'm a companion
of them that fear me. This is my life. And so it is
with you. Christ, our life, not a part
of it. When he shall appear, and he
shall, doesn't say if, does it? Here's a good definition of a
Christian. Somebody's waiting on Christ. Like the woman who's
waiting on her husband who's gone off to war. She continually
gets letters back from him, or calls, or whatever. That's where we are. We're waiting
on him. He said he's coming back. You've
heard this illustration. It's still a good one. My dad gave me a real gift, and
I need to give him something. A couple, a few years ago, he
sat down, I've been urging him to do this for years, sat down
and on cassette tapes narrated every illustration he could make
up over the years. And I have them on cassette tapes.
I need to go, I need to find me some new illustrations. I
need to listen to them. I've been offered lots of money
for this. I've never noticed that I give
me a copy down there and I said no. At any rate he he's the one
who told this illustration man went into London back years ago
days of horse and buggy had his son with him. And he had business
to do in the city of London. And he lived outside of town.
And his son, small son, went with him and he went in and dropped
his son off at a place that he knew the boy liked to whatever,
wherever it was. He said, now son, you just wait
right there on me. I'll be back. I've got business
to conduct. You wait right there. I will be back. And the man left. And you know he forgot that boy. And he headed home. happened to me one time. Eric left me in the pew. Asleep after Sarah I was about
maybe Isaac's age or whatever. And shut the door and turned
the lights out and went off. Now I think they did it intentionally. I'm glad I didn't wake up. But
at any rate This man, to his horror, remembered that sign,
and boy, put those horses in a full tilt, going back to London. Oh, will the boy be there? Will
the boy be there? Something happened to the boy.
And he came pulling up to where he left that boy, and right there
he sat. Dark. He said, son, I'm so glad
you're here. I'm so glad you're here. He said,
well, dad, this is where you told me to stay. You said you'd
be back. And though he tarry, Christi
says, and though the world scoffs and mocks, where is the promise
of his coming? His promise is not slack as some men count slackness. He's coming back. He shall appear. And when he does, it says, we
shall appear, ye shall appear with him in glory. You shall
appear with him in glory. On Sunday morning, we tried to
touch on this. Need another 45 minutes to deal
with that. Glory. But that wouldn't do it,
because we just don't know what this glory is. Now listen to
this. Scripture says this, that which was glorious Had no glory at all in this respect
by reason of the glory that excelled. What Moses saw, what the children
of Israel saw, the tabernacle, what Sheba saw when she saw Solomon,
all those things, it just does not have any glory at all. compared
to the glory that itself, that we're going to see. Sheba went
home after seeing Solomon and the temple and so forth. She
was dumbfounded. Dumbfounded. And then, well, ah, it says,
this corruption shall put on incorruption. Everything this
world, in this world, For everything in the world will far exceed
the beauty of this are far exceeding do you not find some things on
this are still beautiful yes it is. Sunset sunrise of mountain
range of. Clear lake or whatever beautiful
thing still bears the handiwork of God and even human beings
you know but. everything will far exceed that
what is there won't there won't even be any glory to pick up
this display compared to the glory and everyone everyone will far
exceed the beauty of Adam and Eve. Have you ever tried to imagine
Dan to look on Adam's face when when Eve was about to and her
most beautiful human beings ever to be created with the exception
of one. Why will we be more beautiful
than the first half? Because it's going to be like
the second half. I love the story of Pilgrim Christiana's
progress, second part of Pilgrim's progress. Pilgrim's wife, Christiana,
her and her friend were on their pilgrimage to the Celestial City,
and they got there, they crossed over. And when they came in,
it says in a moment, they were changed. And it says they both
stood there looking at each other. And one said to the other, you're
so beautiful. And she said, but you're so beautiful. They were
spellbound by the beauty of one another. Every one will far exceed the
beauty of even the first Adam, for we shall be like Christ,
the second Adam. It says now, with that in mind,
mortify therefore your memory. I want to make this a two-part
message. Maybe I will, maybe we'll deal
with verse 11 all by itself Sunday. And let's look at this just a
moment, OK? Just a few more minutes. He says, so mortify therefore
your members which are upon the earth, fornication, uncleanness,
inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, covetousness, which is idolatry. These things are basically the
lust of the flesh and lust of the eyes. that John wrote about. He says, mortify your members,
that's your flesh, your body. Mortify means kill. Kill. How do we mortify our members,
our flesh? And the reason it deals with
the flesh is because that's our biggest problem, is it not? Isn't
the flesh our biggest problem? Scripture says the flesh lusts
against the spirit. Spirit against the flesh. You
cannot do the things that you would. The flesh, our Lord said
the flesh is weak. Fleshly sin is our biggest problem.
How do we mortify? Well, consider dead and crucified
with Christ. Suppress as a dead, you know,
as something dead. Do you want to keep something
dead in your house? Isn't it repulsive to you? That's
the way we need to consider that old man. And how we mortify is
the same as how we set our affection. Without him we can do nothing.
No amount of resolve or human strength can do this. We can't
mortify one cent without him. So we say, Once again, Lord,
help me. Help, Lord, set my affection
on things today. Lord, show me, cause me to see
things for what they really are. Because, you know, it says that
things that are seen are temporal. There are things that are not
seen. Lord, give me true vision, true
eyesight. Let my eye be seeing. Let my
whole body be full of light. Let me not set my affection,
let me not look with the eye of the flesh, with the eye of
faith, on things of my faith. And Lord, would you kill and
suppress and restrain these desires that consume me? Please, we can't
do it without you. We can't do it. Lord, help me. Lord, restrain me. Lord, restrain
me. Lord, constrain me. He told us
to pray, lead us not into temptation, deliver me from the evil, the
evil one. Lord, constrain me. Lord, cause
me, quicken me, cause me to walk as I should. Lord, strengthen
me. I'm so weak. He promised to answer
me. And it says here, and I'll quit
with these two verses, verses 6 and 7, because for these things
say, The wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience,
into which you also walk sometime when you live in it. But these
things say. You heard Brother Dale deal with
it in Matthew 5. It talks about anybody that teaches,
that breaks these commandments and teaches somebody to break
them, at least in the kingdom. You've heard us say preacher
grace preachers say these things and it's true. We say your sins
don't keep you from God. Your sins don't keep you from
coming to Christ, let's put it that way. You're self-righteous
instead. We say that, don't we? And that's
true. Sins, you know, something if
God shows a sinner what he really is, he'll run to cry. The self-righteous
person doesn't need it. But I'll tell you what keeps
us from God is our sins. Our sins separate us. Our sins
hide His face from us. Isn't that what Scripture says?
It sure is. And we feel it. We hate it. And sins damn us. Sins will damn us. Yes, there
were what was God damn the same. Why did Christ come to save us
from our. So there's no such thing as a
little thing. There's no such thing as a white liar or this
and that and the other. He went on to say lie not from
one to another and so forth. And for which things say, let
me say that, but these things say sins. comes the wrath of
God on the children of disobedience. This is how you know the children
of disobedience from disobedience. Children of obedience want to
obey. They want to be like Christ. They know without Him they cannot
be. And they don't trust that themselves. Nevertheless, they
want to be like Christ, obedient children. Children of disobedience
don't care. So, if you be risen, set your
affections on things of that where Christ is. Fortify your
members which are upon the earth, because these things are damning. Lord, help us all. Lord, save us or we perish. All right, stand with me. We come to these children with
the thanks that a good person comes down from the Father of
life and is willing to bear them for as long as time. We come
to these old men and these children with the thanks to be the firstborn
of their brothers and children by faith in Christ.
And we come and we want to be real with them. They're not going
to kill you tonight. Don't wait to face them. You can't fall asleep tonight.
Good night. And all you want to do is write
to him and tell him this is fine. He has chosen us and created
us. The Lord has chosen us. And saying
that is a sign of a great deal of grace. A great deal of grace. A great deal of grace. A great
deal of grace. A great deal of grace. A great deal of
grace. A great deal of grace. A great deal of grace. I'm proud
of you. Thank you.