The Greatness of Jesus
Hebrews 1:1-4
May 24, 2015

This morning we are going to begin a new book study.
We are going to start working our way through the book of Hebrews.

I don’t really want to take a great deal of time introducing this book this morning,
But it is vitally important that you understand some of the parameters.

First of all, no one knows who the author of this book really is.
Many have guessed, but no one knows.
We’ll just stick to saying it was the Holy Spirit.

Secondly, no one knows who the author is writing to.
No specific church is mentioned.

That means all of the circumstance we can gather about the book
Must come from hints inside the book.

And from that we can gain the parameters we need to see
To help us understand where the writer is coming from.

We don’t know the specific people,
But we do know the kind of people that the writer is addressing.

In:
• (3:1) the writer calls them, “holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling,”
• (5:12) he says, “by this time you ought to be teachers”
• (6:9) he says, “beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation”

We know that in the past they greatly suffered, for the writer says:
• (10:32) “But remember the former days, when, after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings…”

And we know that they are currently suffering discipline, though not to the extent of having to shed their own blood.
• (12:4) “You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin.”

You take all that together and you understand
• We are dealing with people who at the very least have claimed to be
believers.
• And when they accepted Christ, they jumped out of the gate well, but
the writer is clearly frustrated that they haven’t matured more by this
point.

What is also clear is that the writer has one major concern,
And that is that they fall away from the faith.
You need to understand that the writer is not concerned that they might somehow lose their salvation (and we’ll make that clear throughout), but he is concerned that their salvation might be proven phony.

These professing believers are facing hardships for their faith in Christ
And the writer is concerned that some of them are contemplating abandoning Christ and returning to the comforts of Judaism.

He addresses this time and time again.

In:
• (2:1) “For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it.”

• (2:3) “how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?”

• (3:12) “Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God.”

• (3:14) “For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end.”

• (4:1) “Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it.”

• (6:4&6) “For in the case of those who have once been enlightened…and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance.”

• (10:29) “How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?”

• (12:25) “See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven.”

The concern is mentioned time and time and time again.

So the writer here is writing to
A group of underachieving and yet professing believers
Who are contemplating defecting from the faith
Because of the struggles they are facing.

To that the writer has very specific requests:
• (10:22) “Let us draw near with a sincere heart”
• (10:23) “Let us hold fast our confession”

And even more specifically,
He wants them to embrace the suffering of Jesus.
(13:12-14) “Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate. So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.”

So the main point of the book should be apparent to you now.
It is a book written to encourage you to stick with Jesus.

And I would almost guarantee that
At some point in your life, you’ve felt pressure not to.
• Sometimes it can be the enticement of sin.
• Sometimes it can be the confusion of suffering.
• Sometimes it can be the threat of persecution.

All of those are reasons why people who claimed to have a relationship with Jesus had defected from Him.

THE BOOK OF HEBREWS IS AN ARGUMENT WHY YOU SHOULDN’T.
And the preacher wastes no time stating his case.

He opens his letter with an announcement of “The Greatness of Jesus”

And just to fill you in, throughout this letter
The writer is going to remind you that Jesus
Is greater than anything and everything you’ve ever known.

Whether it’s the Law
Or the Priests
Or the Sacrifices
Or the Angels
Or the Prophets
Or the Patriarchs
Jesus is greater than them all.

And in these first 4 verses he sets out to show you
The Jesus that people failed to see.

You may recall Isaiah 53
Isaiah 53:1-2 “Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.”

To put it plainly, all the world could see was this “tender shoot”
Who didn’t look like the Messiah.

Israel quickly tripped over the incarnation.

John 1:10-11 “He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.”
As Jesus wept over Jerusalem He said:
Luke 19:43-44 “For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”

That was the problem.
God was there, but they couldn’t see Him, they didn’t recognize Him.

It’s as if all they could see was His outer flesh.
The writer of Hebrews is saying, “Don’t let the skin fool you!”

And it is clear that his goal is to peel back the outer layer of Jesus.
He wants you to see the glory that dwelled beneath His flesh.
He wants you to understand exactly who we are dealing with here.

Jesus is greater than anything and anyone you’ve ever known.
And his message is that leaving Him would be an eternal mistake.

So let’s jump into the letter.
(1) “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son,”

You really need to recognize the contrasts here.
The theme is about God speaking.

• God “spoke long ago” and He has spoken “in these last days”
• God spoke “to the fathers” and now He has spoken “to us”
• God spoke “in many portions and in many ways” and now He spoke “in His Son”

The writer is pointing out something valuable to you and to me.
GOD HAS SPOKEN TO US!

And God has spoken to us in the most extensive and exhaustive
And thorough way that He has ever spoken.

NOTICE THE DIFFERENCE
“He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways”

One thing that was true of the average person alive in the Old Testament…God did not speak to them directly.

If they were to hear from God,
It would come to them via the medium of a prophet.

Even then, it wasn’t always a lot, and not always the same way.
• Jonah had a short message (8 words)
• Isaiah a long one

• Amos stood and boldly spoke harsh realities
• Ezekiel acted everything out

• Elijah and Elisha were full of signs and wonders and miraculous points
• Jeremiah worked no miracles and just faithfully proclaimed the truth

It was God communicating, but you never knew for sure
What you were going to get, or how much of it.

And yet, when God did speak (however He did it),
It was to be valued and obeyed.

When God spoke, you listened.
The voice of the Lord was of infinite value.

And it is that truth that makes Jesus of so much value.

God used to speak “in many portions and in many ways” but “in these last days [He] has spoken to us in His Son”

Jesus is God’s greatest sermon.
Jesus is God’s final spoken word.
Jesus is the most extensive message that God ever spoke.

John said it like this:
John 1:16-18 “For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.”

Jesus is the most comprehensive message God ever preached.
We learned more from 5 minutes with Jesus
Than we learned in years of study in the Old Testament.

God spoke to us “in His Son”

And it is apparent that the writer wants you to know
How great the Son actually is.

In case all you can remember is the carpenter’s son
Who had no stately form or majesty that would attract you to Him.
The writer of Hebrews wants to remind you exactly who this Son really is.

He gives here 8 characteristics about this Son.

#1 HE IS THE SELECTED HEIR
Hebrews 1:2b
“whom He appointed heir of all things”

This Son of God, who came to reveal God, is God’s appointed “heir”

He is the long awaited Messiah.
He is the rightful King of Israel.
And He will in fact rule the world.

Psalms 2:6-9 “But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain.” “I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. ‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, And the very ends of the earth as Your possession. ‘You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware.'”

Isaiah 9:6-7 “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.”

This Son through whom God spoke
Is none other than the long-awaited Messiah.

And regardless of what you think of Him,
It is obvious what His Father thinks of Him.

• He is the Father’s chosen heir
• He is the Father’s Joseph (the favored one)
• The Father has chosen this Son to rule and to reign
You need to know that!

#2 HE IS THE SOVEREIGN CREATOR
Hebrews 1:2c

“through whom also He made the world.”

The Son of God is not just some spoiled little rich boy
Who sits by while His Father does all the work.
God’s Son is actually the creator of all things.

John 1:1-3 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.”

Colossians 1:15-16 “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things have been created through Him and for Him.”

When we are talking about God’s Son, we are not just talking about
Some insignificant figure in the shadows.
He is the creator of all things.

SO HE IS CREATOR AND HEIR
• This makes God’s Son both the Beginning and the End.
• That makes Him the Alpha and the Omega
• That makes Him the Creator and the Judge

He is of imminent importance.

Selected Heir, Sovereign Creator
#3 HE IS THE SUPERNATURAL RADIANCE
Hebrews 1:3a

“And He is the radiance of His glory”

We are talking here about the Shekina Glory of God.
And trust me, when I tell you that the Jews knew all about it.

Perhaps you remember when Solomon built the temple, after he was done, we read:

1 Kings 8:10-11 “It happened that when the priests came from the holy place, the cloud filled the house of the LORD, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD.”

It was the glory of God, and no man could stand it.
God’s glory is too awesome
It drove men to their knees

Moses couldn’t look directly at it, and even when he saw the back, the glow radiated on his face to such an extent that he had to wear a veil when speaking to the children of Israel.

And for the first time the writer of Hebrews gives explanation
As to why the Son of God came veiled in human flesh.

It is because “He is the radiance of His glory”

No man could have looked directly at Him, if He had come in His glory.
He had to “glory down” so to speak.

According to Philippians 2:7 He :
Philippians 2:7 “emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.”

He had to hide His glory.

But the point is that everything that is attributed to
The unapproachable, holy, glorious presence of God…THAT IS THE SON!

DON’T LET THE SKIN FOOL YOU
He is every bit as glorious and magnificent.

He is the Selected Heir, the Sovereign Creator, the Supernatural Radiance
#4 THE SUPREME REPRESENTATION
Hebrews 1:3b

“and the exact representation of His nature”

He is more than just a chip off the ole’ block.
The Greek here indicates that He is the same substance.

If the Father and the Son used a hair brush and left their DNA behind,
It would be the same DNA

They have the same fingerprint
They have the same blood type
They are the same substance

The word here is used of the imprint that is left
When you force a signet into hot wax.
The imprint is the same as the signet

So is the Son as the Father

And from that you gain the understanding that it is impossible to reject the Son without what? (Rejecting the Father)

John 5:19-23 “Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. “For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel. “For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes. “For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.”

This Son whom God sent as the final message to humanity is a big deal.

#5 HE IS THE STRONG SUSTAINER
Hebrews 1:3c

“and upholds all things by the word of His power.”

Creator is one thing, sustainer is another.
The Son didn’t just start all this world spinning
And then sit back to see how it would all play out.

He sits enthroned sustaining it all.
He keeps it working
He keeps it together
Colossians 1:17 “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”

The nucleous of the atom only has protons (positive) and neutrons (neutral), but no negative charge.
And no one can figure out what keeps it from flying apart.

Now, they know what happens if you split it – you get an atom bomb.

• Who is it that holds the atom together?
• Who is it that keeps the earth on its axis?
• Who is it that holds the sea in place?
According to the writer of Hebrews, it is God’s Son.

(Read in Revelation and see what happens when He begins to pull back)

Would you say that He is important?
Absolutely

He is the Selected Heir, the Sovereign Creator, the Supernatural Radiance,
The Supreme Representation, the Strong Sustainer
#6 HE IS THE SACRIFICIAL SAVIOR
Hebrews 1:3c

“When He had made purification for sins”
• Not only did God’s Son come as a message from God
• Not only did He create the world
• Not only did He contain His glory behind a veil of human flesh

But the Son of God came and did something
That no one could see coming.
He “made purification for sins”

He did what no priest in thousands of years had been able to do.
God’s Son came and actually cleansed sinners.
God’s Son came and actually purchased a pardon.

He propitiated God’s wrath on sin
He satisfied God’s holy desire for judgment

Colossians 2:13-14 “When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”

He took what was sinful and made it clean
God’s Son is of infinite value

#7 HE IS THE SUCCESSFUL PRIEST
Hebrews 1:3d
“He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high”

That may not mean much to you, but it sure did to the Jews.

No man dared even enter the holy of holies
Only the high priest did once a year
But I’ll tell you one thing that priest never did…he never sat down.

Sometime read the book of Leviticus
You’ll find the priests doing all sorts of things, but one thing you won’t find them doing is sitting down

WHY?
Because there was always work to be done.

But after God’s Son “made purification for sins”
He did it so well that He actually sat down and rested.

When He took care of sin, He took care of it totally.

SO CAN YOU HEAR THE WRITER OF HEBREWS MAGNIFY THE SON?
He may have come veiled in human flesh, but don’t let the skin fool you.
He is not optional, He is absolutely essential.

You don’t want to reject Him
You don’t want to abandon Him
You don’t want to defect from Him

He is the Selected Heir
He is the Sovereign Creator
He is the Supernatural Radiance
He is the Supreme Representation
He is the Strong Sustainer
He is the Sacrificial Savior
He is the Successful Priest

#8 HE IS SECOND TO NONE
Hebrews 1:4

“having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.”

He was able to sit “at the right hand of the Majesty on high”
And I promise you no angel ever did that.

To the Jews, angels were a big deal.
It was the angels who mediated the Law.
They were celestial beings.

And next to God, nothing and no one had power like them.
Angels were a big deal to the Jews and the writer here reminds that angels are nothing compared to the Son of God.

“He has inherited a more excellent name than they.”

Philippians 2:5-11 “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Don’t let the skin fool you
• Don’t let the fact that He was a tender shoot out of dry ground throw you off
• Don’t let the fact that He had no majesty that we should be attracted to Him cause you to miss Him

He is the Son of God and He has no equal.

And to all those who received this letter,
Or to those who would read it today.

• Some who are tempted with sin and are enticed by the pleasures of the
world and are considering trying them…
• Some who are suffering and think it unjust and wonder if a God who would
allow such suffering is actually worthy of worship…
• Some who are persecuted and the threat of pain and death are causing them
to consider forsaking Jesus…

The writer of Hebrews would say – DON’T!
There are a lot of things in this life you might leave,
But don’t let Jesus be one of them.

He is higher and loftier than any you could ever know.

John MacArthur wrote:
“Someone has said that Jesus Christ came from the bosom of the Father to the bosom of a woman. He put on humanity that we might put on divinity. He became Son of Man that we might become sons of God. He was born contrary to the laws of nature, lived in poverty, was reared in obscurity, and only once crossed the boundary of the land in which He was born – and that in His childhood. He had no wealth or influence and had neither training nor education in the world’s schools. His relatives were inconspicuous and uninfluential. In infancy He startled a king. In boyhood He puzzled learned doctors. In manhood He ruled the course of nature. He walked upon billows and hushed the sea to sleep. He healed the multitudes without medicine and made no charge for His services. He never wrote a book and yet all the libraries of the world could not hold the books about Him. He never wrote a song, yet He has furnished the theme for more songs than all songwriters together. He never founded a college, yet all the schools together cannot boast of as many students as He has. He never practiced medicine and yet He has healed more broken hearts than all the doctors have healed broken bodies. This Jesus Christ is the star of astronomy, the rock of geology, the lion and the lamb of zoology, the harmonizer of all discords, and the healer of all diseases. Throughout history great men have come and gone, yet He lives on. Herod could not kill Him. Satan could not seduce Him. Death could not destroy Him and the grave could not hold Him.” (MacArthur, John [The MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Hebrews, Moody Press, Chicago, IL 1983] pg. 9-10)

DON’T LET THE SKIN FOOL YOU
No one matters like Jesus matters.

And this morning we come to remember that.
We are going to partake in the Lord’s Supper.

It is here we eat the cracker and remember His body
• It was the veil that concealed His glory
• And He gave it for you

It is here we drink the juice and remember His blood
• It was the payment for our sin
• And He shed it for you

And as we eat, we proclaim His death and our trust in it,
Until He comes again.

The Lord’s Supper is a tremendous act of worship.
The Lord’s Supper is a necessary act of faith.
For when you take the Lord’s Supper you are saying that
You have seen what the rest of the world has not seen.

You have seen that He is in fact:
• The Selected Heir
• The Sovereign Creator
• The Supernatural Radiance
• The Supreme Representation
• The Strong Sustainer
• The Sacrificial Savior
• The Successful Priest
• And Second to None

We are going to have a time of preparation,
And then we will partake of the table of the Lord.

 

The Life That Is Focused On Jesus – part 3
Colossians 3:1 – 4:1 (3:18-4:1)
May 17, 2015

As you know we are in the middle of a study called:
“It’s All About Jesus”

It is a study where we not only hope to study the truths about Jesus,
But also to remind us that everything in this life is in fact all about Him.

Paul reminded us early on in Colossians chapter 1
That Christ was to have “first place in everything.”

And that is the truth we are seeking to be reminded of as we embark on this study.

For the last two Sunday nights we’ve been studying Col. 3 in order that we may examine what the life focused on Jesus looks like.

If I may recap briefly:

You know that the Colossians were being lied to by false teachers who, because of their angelic visions, were telling the Colossians that the means to pleasing God was through religious ritual and self-abasement.

Of course Paul revealed that those things may in fact look good,
But in reality they are absolutely valueless.

They don’t help you kill the flesh,
And they won’t make you more pleasing to God.

But because this was one of the lies permeating Colossae,
Paul wrote the letter to ask the Colossians to instead focus on Christ.

We’ve already covered the first two points of the chapter,
But let’s briefly remember them.

#1 A PLEA FOR A JESUS FOCUSED LIFE
Colossians 3:1-11

This is where Paul blatantly asked the Colossians to
Quit looking at what pleases men
And instead to start looking at what pleases Christ.

“keep seeking the things above where Christ is”
“Set your mind on the things above”

Men said to stay away from various foods and drinks, etc.
Christ said to stay away from “immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, greed…anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech”

It was about heart righteousness not legalistic righteousness.
And ultimately Paul reminded us that the goal of God
Is not to conform you to some earthly pattern.

For example He wasn’t trying to make you
“Greek” or “Jew” or “Scythian” or “Barbarian”

We could add “or Baptist or Methodist or American or Skinny or Muscular”

God’s objective has always been
To conform you “to the image of the One who created” you.

He wants you to be like Christ.
As Paul said “Christ is all”
THAT IS THE GOAL.

And with that Paul’s first plea is obvious.
FOCUS ON JESUS AND WHAT HE DESIRES

Focus on Jesus that you may be conformed into His image.
Focus on Jesus that you can imitate His behavior.

That was Paul’s Plea for a Jesus focused life.
#2 THE PATTERN OF A JESUS FOCUSED LIFE
Colossians 3:12-17

And quite simply we learned that the pattern is Jesus.
We are to see what makes Him tick and follow His example.

Paul even gave a list of attributes that accurately depict Him.
“compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience”

Paul would add to that list forgiveness and ultimately love.

The idea is that since Christ is those things,
Then you ought to be those things too.
You should follow Christ’s example.

You should also submit to Christ’s desire.
This is what Paul meant when He said to
Let His word dwell in you and His peace rule your life.

Let Christ have His say and do what He says without argument.

After all, if you truly desire to be like Him,
Then it only makes sense to let Him call the shots and give the direction.

In fact, if Paul wanted to give the summation of this chapter,
One could argue that it is found in verse 17.

“Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus…”
In short, do everything the way Christ would do it.
Do everything like Him.
He is the ultimate pattern.

• The Plea for a Jesus Focused Life
• The Pattern of a Jesus Focused Life

Now we come to the third point:
#3 THE PICTURE OF A JESUS FOCUSED LIFE
Colossians 3:18-4:1

And now we final get to the practical “hands on” application.
Now we get to the “For Instance” part of the story.

In these final verses we find people in the midst of every day roles
Whose life is all about Jesus.

We know that because these people wouldn’t do these things
If their life wasn’t all about Jesus.

Here in our text we find 6 people who evidence a Jesus Focused Life.

1) THE SUBMISSIVE WIFE (18)

“Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.”

Certainly we are familiar with the command.

Ephesians 5:22-24 “Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.”

1 Peter 3:1-6 “In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior. Your adornment must not be merely external — braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands; just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear.”

In the confines of marriage,
God has placed the husband as head over the wife.

• This order was established at creation when God created woman for the man’s sake.
• She was called to be a suitable helpmate to him.

And the language of the various texts couldn’t be more direct.
• Paul said she is to submit to him “as to the Lord”
• He also added the phrase “in everything”
• Peter added that it didn’t matter if the husband was obedient to the Lord or not, she was still called to be submissive.

Peter even added the example of Sarah who called Abraham “Lord”

And so the command is a virtually simple one to understand.

“Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.”

According to Paul, this “is fitting” for a Christian woman.

If you wanted to put it another way
And you want to know how Jesus would act, well here it is.

If Jesus were a wife, He’d be a submissive one.

And I know in our culture this is extremely taboo.
In reality our society hates all kinds of submission.
• Our society doesn’t think
• Children should have to obey their parents
• Congregations should submit to their pastors
• Civilians should submit to the governing authorities
• Suspects should submit to police officers
• And especially that wives should submit to their husbands.

In reality all of that is nothing less than rebellion against God
Since all authority is established by Him.
Every form of insubordination is rebellion primarily against God.

But ever since the fall women who are controlled by the flesh
Have sought to rebel against their husbands and usurp their authority.
It’s just the way it is, but not for the woman who is focused on Jesus.

The woman who is focused on Jesus submits to her husband.
• Not because he is right
• Not because he deserves it
• Not because he is smart
• Not because he is experienced

In reality none of those reasons matters
She submits to her husband because it “is fitting in the Lord”

She does it because Jesus likes it.

She is the woman who has determined that
Regardless of the circumstance she is the most pleasing to Jesus
When she walks in submission and so she does.
So, if you want practical?
What does a wife who is focused on Jesus look like?
She is submissive.

Let’s look at another type of person who is focused on Jesus.

The Submissive Wife
2) THE LOVING HUSBAND (19)

“Husbands, love your wives and do not be embittered against them.”

Again, this is not an uncommon command.

Ephesians 5:25-30 “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, because we are members of His body.”

1 Peter 3:7 “You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.”

Paul said to the Ephesians that the love of a husband
Was to be sacrificial love, like that of Christ to the church.

The husband, by God’s design,
Is to put his desires on the back burner
And make his wife’s needs a priority.

Peter stated it a little differently
When he said to live with her “in an understanding way”

“do not be embittered against them.”
• That is to say, don’t grow angry and bitter
• Don’t get agitated toward them
• Live in an understanding way

Women don’t particularly like insensitive husbands,
And yet they are called to submit to them anyway.

Men don’t particularly like boisterous wives,
And yet they are called to love them anyway.

The love of Christ is patient and kind
And does not take into account a wrong suffered.
The love of Christ is never exhausted or too tired to act.
And this is the love that a husband is to have for his wife.

He is not to put her on the back burner or neglect her
Or ignore her or dominate her.
He is to love her and cherish her and provide for her and protect her.

Furthermore this is precisely what a husband
Who is focused on Jesus will do,
Because it is precisely the kind of husband that Jesus is.

Think about how Jesus loved the church.
• He endured the humiliation of the incarnation
• He endured the scorn of the crowds
• He mingled with the dirty
• He constantly gave Himself to the begging multitudes and their endless requests
• He washed feet
• He touched wounds
• He carried burdens

And as if that wasn’t enough, He stood in the gap for the church
To the very end, including death on a cross.

And the husband who is focused on Jesus
Will have that kind of love for his wife.

Not because she deserves it (I can already assure you that she doesn’t)
He will love her like that because Christ desires it.

If Jesus were a wife, He’d be a submissive one
If Jesus were a husband, He’d be a loving one

3) THE OBEDIENT CHILD (20)

“Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord.”

Again, this is not a foreign command.

Ephesians 6:1-3 “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER (which is the first commandment with a promise), SO THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH YOU, AND THAT YOU MAY LIVE LONG ON THE EARTH.”

Children are continually called to obey their parents.

Proverbs 6:20 “My son, observe the commandment of your father And do not forsake the teaching of your mother;”

It is expected that children will obey.
In fact, under the Mosaic Law a child would be stoned for failing to obey:

Deuteronomy 21:18-21 “If any man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey his father or his mother, and when they chastise him, he will not even listen to them, then his father and mother shall seize him, and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gateway of his hometown. “They shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey us, he is a glutton and a drunkard.’ “Then all the men of his city shall stone him to death; so you shall remove the evil from your midst, and all Israel will hear of it and fear.”

Children are called to obey
And a child that is focused on Jesus in their life, will do it.

They don’t do it because their parent’s commands are fun.
They don’t do it because their parent’s commands make sense.

They do it “in all things” because it “is well-pleasing to the Lord”

Obedience to their parents is about being pleasing to the Father,
Not about being pleasing to themselves.

And that is why we have such an issue with this in our society today.

Depraved Mind
Romans 1:28-30 “And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,”

Difficult Men
2 Timothy 3:1-5 “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.”

In a world that is focused solely on self,
Obeying parents doesn’t fit the bill.

But if you take a person who is submitted to Jesus
And focused on what pleases Jesus,
Obeying parents is precisely the objective.

It is just a simple picture of what a life focused on Jesus looks like.

Let me give you another.
4) THE ENCOURAGING FATHER (21)

“Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart.”

Here we have a picture of a father who is focused on Jesus.
The Father focused on Jesus understands that
He has a tremendous job to do.

He has been entrusted with raising his children to know and fear the Lord.

This is one of the most basic commands of Scripture.

Proverbs 1:8 “Hear, my son, your father’s instruction…”

Proverbs 4:1 “Hear, O sons, the instruction of a father…”

Even the Shema of the Old Testament focuses on this necessity

Deuteronomy 6:1-9 “Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the judgments which the LORD your God has commanded me to teach you, that you might do them in the land where you are going over to possess it, so that you and your son and your grandson might fear the LORD your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. “O Israel, you should listen and be careful to do it, that it may be well with you and that you may multiply greatly, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey. “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. “You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. “You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. “You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

This includes not only the instruction mentioned there,
But also the discipline to correct.

Proverbs 23:13-14 “Do not hold back discipline from the child, Although you strike him with the rod, he will not die. You shall strike him with the rod And rescue his soul from Sheol.”

The calling is obvious.
Children are in fact a gift from the Lord.

The calling of the Father is to train them and mold them into the future men and women that God would have them to be.

They are literally the shepherds of their family.

However a father walking in the flesh is often
Too busy, too frustrated, too preoccupied to do this correctly.

That is why Paul reveals how a father focused on Jesus does it.

“Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart.”

“exasperate” comes from a Greek word that means “stir to anger”

The idea is that the father is so hard to please, or so disinterested
That all he actually does is frustrate a child
Until they quit caring or quit trying.

The child actually gives up and no longer cares what the father desires.

This in reality is what I am most thankful for in my dad.
He could blow his top to be sure,
But he was never afraid to build you up either.

It was a mixture of discipline and encouragement.

One side of him made you afraid to do bad,
The other side made you excited to do good.
It was an equal motive from both ends.

A father focused on Jesus is an encouraging father,
Seeking to faithfully mold his children into the image of Christ.

And so, just in the family unit it is clear.
• A submissive wife
• A loving husband
• An obedient child
• An encouraging father

None of those things are natural to the flesh,
But the individual who is focused on Jesus
With their mind set on heavenly things
Will fulfill these roles solely because it pleases the Lord.

There are two more examples
5) THE COMMITTED SLAVE (22-25)
“Slaves, in all things obey those who are your masters on earth, not with external service, as those who merely please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality.”

Now granted we don’t know much of slavery in our culture,
And for sure a slave is in view here.

The closest association we make in this area would be to an employee.
• It is the idea of being under the authority of someone else.
• It is the idea of doing a job for someone else.

A carnal slave or a fleshly employee is going to give the bare minimum.

But a slave/employee focused on Jesus is different:
They don’t obey with just “external service”,
They do it “with sincerity of heart”

Why?
Because they fear the Lord.

They do their work “heartily, as for the Lord, knowing that from the Lord [they] will receive the reward of the inheritance.”

Romans 14:6-8 “He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God. For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.”

1 Peter 2:18-20 “Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable. For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.”

And that passage answers a ton of questions.

My guess is that nearly everyone in here knows what it feels like
To work for a less than pleasant boss.

It is easy to complain and give a half-hearted effort
But a Christian focused on Jesus will do no such thing.

They understand that Christ has placed them in that role
For a bigger purpose (even if they don’t know what it is)
And in their serving Christ they serve their master well.

And even when their earthly master
Never recognizes the good that they do,
They have faith that “from the Lord [they] will receive the reward…”

It is the life that is focused on Jesus.

And then we see the flip side
6) THE FAIR MASTER (4:1)

“Masters, grant to your slaves justice and fairness, knowing that you too have a Master in heaven.”

Again this is a literal master, but it can also apply to anyone who is in charge of another person. Similar to a boss or a manager or a foreman.
And the master who is focused on Jesus
Will operate with “justice and fairness”
Because they know they have a master they will answer to as well.

1 Corinthians 7:22 “For he who was called in the Lord while a slave, is the Lord’s freedman; likewise he who was called while free, is Christ’s slave.”

The inclination of the flesh is to take advantage of those under you.
• Make them do all the menial tasks…
• Make them do their job and yours…
• Make them carry the heaviest burdens…

This is not a fair master.

Matthew 24:45-51 “Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? “Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. “Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. “But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is not coming for a long time,’ and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards; the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

The call is to remember that while we may be someone’s master
We are still someone’s slave.

We have to treat those under us as we want the one over us to treat us.
This is how the person focused on Jesus operates.

AND SO, YOU SEE THE PICTURE OF A JESUS FOCUSED LIFE.
It’s not deep
It’s not tricky

In all actuality, it is really very basic.
• If Jesus were a wife, He’d be submissive
• If Jesus were a husband, He’d be loving
• If Jesus were a child, He’d be obedient
• If Jesus were a father, He’d be encouraging
• If Jesus were a slave, He’d be committed
• If Jesus were a master, He’d be just and fair

And our calling is to be like Him.

See, the Colossians were all confused about the life that pleases God.
They thought it had to do with what they ate and didn’t eat,
What festivals they attended and so forth.

But that was pointless religion.

A wife may attend every function, and abstain from ever carnal appetite, but if she isn’t submissive to her husband, she is missing the point.

A husband may attend every function, and abstain from all things, but if he doesn’t love his wife, that is not what God desires.

And so on…

Whatever role you play on this earth,
Just understand that you are doing it for Jesus.
And you should do it like Jesus would.

“It’s All About Jesus”

There is nothing in this life that isn’t.
Everything must be done with a focus on Him.

Living Beyond Egypt
Genesis 50:1-26
May 17, 2015

Well, this morning we are bringing to a close
The study of this fascinating book we call Genesis.

It is far more than history, it is “The Gospel According to Moses”

As Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt,
Not only did he want them to know their family history,
He wanted them to know the God of their fathers
And all that He had done for them.

Moses used the history of Israel to reveal the gospel of their great God.
• Adam taught us the dangers of sin
• Noah taught us the inevitability of judgment
• Abraham taught us the grace of salvation
• Jacob taught us the necessity of sanctification
• Joseph taught us the reality of providence
• And now we are here at the end of the book learning the final lesson.

That lesson is one of ETERNITY.

Israel settled in Egypt by God’s design.
• God had placed them there.
• God wanted them there.

But their stay there was only temporary.
• Egypt was not to be their permanent home.
• God was merely using Egypt to prepare them for their permanent home.

And so the last couple of weeks we’ve been talking about
Life “Beyond Egypt”

We listened as
• Jacob enjoyed every possibly comfort that Egypt could afford,
• Yet he was completely unwilling to grow comfortable with the notion of settling
there.
• Jacob told his boys to promise that when he died they would bury him in
Canaan.
• Then Jacob blessed his boys.
• First he reminded Joseph of God’s promise and gave him a double
Portion in the land of Canaan
• Then he prophesied over all of his sons, particularly reminding them
of the Savior who would come from the tribe of Judah.

It has all been a focus on what is coming, not on what is.

And we have taken those reminders
And diligently sought to apply them to our own lives.
• We all understand the dangers of sin
• We all understand the inevitability of judgment
• We all understand salvation by grace through faith
• We all understand the necessity of salvation
• We all understand the reality of providence

And it is just as important that we all understand that
All of those things are to prepare us for eternity.

All God did in the lives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph
Was to prepare Israel for the day to come, not the present day.

And it is just as true for you and me.
The Bible promises that this life is but a vapor, but eternity is forever.

We would be foolish to make our decisions
Only with a view to what makes this life enjoyable
As opposed to what will make eternity enjoyable.

Jacob has been teaching us that.
Jacob has been teaching that to his boys.

Well this morning I want to show you that Joseph has listened.
Joseph took what his father had to say and applied it to his life.

Where it would have been extremely easy for Joseph
Just to settle in Egypt, he chose not to.

Joseph was the number two man.
Joseph had control of the nation
Joseph lived in the lap of luxury
But Joseph listened to his father
And decided to live for eternity and not the present.

And Genesis chapter 50 shows us what that looks like.

So, if you have also listened to the advice of Jacob
And decided that you too would like to live for eternity and not just for the comforts of this life, then this morning I give you the example of Joseph to show you what that looks like.

There are three things Joseph does in this final chapter
That helps us see what it looks like
To live “Beyond Egypt” and to live for eternity.

#1 HE HONORED THE PETITION OF HIS FATHER
Genesis 50:1-13

Genesis 49:33 “When Jacob finished charging his sons, he drew his feet into the bed and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.”

Jacob died.
He had made his sons promise to bury him in Canaan,
And it would seem that it is now time to fulfill that promise.

But first we are met with the initial response to Jacob’s death.

(1-3) “Then Joseph fell on his father’s face, and wept over him and kissed him. Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel. Now forty days were required for it, for such is the period required for embalming. And the Egyptians wept for him seventy days.”

The main thing I want you to recognize there is that
It is obvious that Egypt had embraced Jacob.

It may have been purely in response to their love of Joseph,
But either way the Egyptians clearly loved Jacob.

He was not treated as a loathsome Hebrew, but more like a king.
• They embalmed him
• They mourned for him
• The death of Jacob was a big deal to them.

Why do you need to see that?
Because now that Jacob has died,
Joseph and his brothers are faced with a dilemma.

They are faced with the request that their father made
To bury him back in Canaan.

But in order to do that,
They must run the risk of insulting the nation of Egypt.

My wife won’t like the analogy, but most of you have seen that great theological movie called “Lonesome Dove”

If you’ll remember Gus dies in Lonesome dove and his request to his friend is to take him back to Texas for his burial.

On the way Captain Col runs into Clara who wants Gus to be buried at her home. Col refuses because that was not what Gus wanted and Clara announces how much she despises Col for it.

At the end, after Gus is buried, Col says something to the effect of “I guess that will teach me to be more careful about what I promise in the future”

I bring that up because that’s the type of dilemma Joseph is now facing.

In order to bury his father he has to publicly reject Egypt;
A nation that clearly loves him and Jacob.

• What sort of message will that send?
• What sort of political ramifications would there be?

Beyond that, Joseph will have to get permission from Pharaoh.

(4-5) “When the days of mourning for him were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your sight, please speak to Pharaoh, saying, ‘My father made me swear, saying, “Behold, I am about to die; in my grave which I dug for myself in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me.” Now therefore, please let me go up and bury my father; then I will return.'”

That may in fact SEEM like a pretty innocent request.
We don’t foresee that there should be any problem there.

But remember who is writing this book…
Remember who is hearing this sermon…

Do you remember what happened when Moses came to Pharaoh asking something similar?

Exodus 5:1-9 “And afterward Moses and Aaron came and said to Pharaoh, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Let My people go that they may celebrate a feast to Me in the wilderness.'” But Pharaoh said, “Who is the LORD that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and besides, I will not let Israel go.” Then they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please, let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God, otherwise He will fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword.” But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you draw the people away from their work? Get back to your labors!” Again Pharaoh said, “Look, the people of the land are now many, and you would have them cease from their labors!” So the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters over the people and their foremen, saying, “You are no longer to give the people straw to make brick as previously; let them go and gather straw for themselves. “But the quota of bricks which they were making previously, you shall impose on them; you are not to reduce any of it. Because they are lazy, therefore they cry out, ‘ Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ “Let the labor be heavier on the men, and let them work at it so that they will pay no attention to false words.”

There is no reason to assume that Joseph
Will get any different of a response than Moses did.

MY POINT IS:
In order for Joseph to honor the request of his father,
He would have to stare the potential for adversity right in the eye.

The easy decision would be to bury Jacob in Egypt.
• Egypt loved him
• Certainly burying his father there would show his own allegiance
• There would be no need to even bother Pharaoh

But Joseph wasn’t looking for easy, he was looking beyond Egypt.
Now FORTUNATELY Pharaoh was compliant
And Egypt didn’t give Joseph any trouble.

So Joseph and his brother departed to bury Jacob.

(READ 50:6-11)

And then comes the point of the first 13 verses.

(12-13) “Thus his sons did for him as he had charged them; for his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre, which Abraham had bought along with the field for a burial site from Ephron the Hittite.”

“Thus his sons did for him as he had charged them”

They faced the potential dangers and hardships
And honored their father anyway.

This is one of the ways we know that Joseph was living beyond Egypt.

Incidentally, God does this all the time.

Imagine each time Joseph prayed to God from his prison cell
Asking for release to return home.

• Would granting that request have made Joseph happy with God?
• Would denying that request have run the risk of making Joseph angry?

But God had to choose what was best for eternity, not for today
…and He always does.

And this is what we are called to do.

This life is filled with decisions.
Some of those decisions are difficult, some are easy,
But all should be made with a view to eternity.

One of my favorite quotes from Adrian Rogers is:
“Men are like rivers, they grow crooked from following the path of least resistance”

Sometimes you have to make a decision
That is good for eternity, not for the present.

This is a great indicator in your life
About whether you are living for today or eternity.

Matthew 10:39 “He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.”
That was the very essence of what Jesus was referring to.
You can’t keep both lives, you must lose one of them.

Joseph risked his present comforts for an eternal promise,
This is what it means to live “Beyond Egypt”

He Honored the Petition of His Father
#2 HE SOUGHT THE PRESERVATION OF HIS BROTHERS
Genesis 50:14-21

Here is the second major event of the chapter.
• Jacob is buried, Joseph and his brothers have returned to Egypt.
• And all of a sudden Joseph’s brothers realize that the buffer is gone.
• They are in a dangerous situation.
• If Joseph wants to get even, nothing is there to stop him.

And so the brothers decide to approach Joseph
In repentance and humility.

(14-18) “After he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers, and all who had gone up with him to bury his father. When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong which we did to him!” So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father charged before he died, saying, ‘Thus you shall say to Joseph, “Please forgive, I beg you, the transgression of your brothers and their sin, for they did you wrong.”‘ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. Then his brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.”

Incidentally, if you want a good example of repentance and humility,
This is one.

Certainly it would have been nice if the brothers had done this sooner,
But regardless of the timing, they are doing it correctly.
• They acknowledge their guilt and iniquity,
• They request forgiveness,
• They come in humility,
• The promise submission.

That is a good picture of repentance.

And yet the ball is totally in Joseph’s court.
If Joseph does bear a grudge,
He has full authority to do to them whatever he desires.

But look at Joseph’s answer.
(One of the greatest passages on forgiveness in the entire Bible)
(18-21) “Then his brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place? “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. “So therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” So he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.”
I don’t want to dwell here forever,
Because the chapter isn’t just about forgiveness,
But about an eternal perspective.

However, it will benefit you to stop and look at these verses a minute
And remember what true forgiveness is and how you do it.

You can see 3 reasons Joseph was able to forgive.
1) HE REALIZED GOD’S PLACE (19)

“Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place?”

Joseph realized that condemnation and vengeance
Were not his to deal out.

Romans 14:10-13 “But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, “AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD,EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD.” So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this — not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s way.”

Romans 12:19-21 “Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord. “BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Joseph recognized that He is not God and punishment for iniquity
Is God’s prerogative, not his.

If you will realize that, it will make forgiveness easier for you too.

2) HE RECOGNIZED GOD’S PROVIDENCE (20)

Regardless of how difficult the situation was,
Joseph was willing to see that it wasn’t all just a result of sinful men.

Joseph could also see that God had orchestrated this.
It wasn’t just his brothers that did this, it was God.

“you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.”

Joseph was willing to see that the pain he suffered
Was used by God for a greater good.

And when you realize that
Even your hardships in life are being used for your good,
It is much easier to forgive the people involved.

3) HE REFLECTED GOD’S PERSONALITY (21)

Joseph forgave and chose mercy and grace.
He willingly let go of the sin, and chose to be merciful.
This is a reflection of God’s personality.

Matthew 5:43-45 “You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’ “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”

Luke 6:35 “But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.”

Colossians 3:13 “bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.”

Joseph was able to forgive
Because he recognized God as being forgiving.

Forgiveness is easier when you recognize God’s forgiveness.

In fact a person who won’t forgive reveals a person
Who has never recognized the gravity of their own sin,
Nor learned to appreciate God’s forgiveness in their own life.

And so you see Joseph forgive his brothers and HOW he did it.

What I want you to understand is WHY he did it.
Joseph forgave them because he was looking to eternity.

He clearly understood God’s eternal plan.
All of his hardship was from God “to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.”

If God’s purpose was to “preserve” people, how could Joseph be walking in step with God’s plan if he in turn chose to condemn them?

Joseph chose unity and peace because that was God’s desire.

From a human stand point he had every right to punish.
But Joseph wasn’t thinking about today,
He was thinking about tomorrow.

And regardless of what those boys had done,
Joseph was looking to the descendants and the preservation of a people.
Again, he made a decision based on eternity, not the present.

And like it or not this is what forgiveness always is.
You never forgive a person for the sake of today,
You always do it for the sake of tomorrow.

When you forgive, you swallow a hurt today
So that tomorrow can be peaceful.

Joseph was clearly living for eternity, not for today.

• He risked present comforts for an eternal promise and Honored the Petition of His Father

• He forsook present rights for the sake of eternal peace and Sought the Preservation of His Brothers

#3 HE PROCLAIMED THE PROMISE OF HIS GOD
Genesis 50:22-26

It is true that Joseph was not the next patriarch,
However we do find him here operating in a similar role.

God has clearly blessed Joseph and even rewarded him for the adversity that he walked through.

The end of Joseph’s life actually reads similar to the end of Job’s life,
Who was also repaid for the adversity he endured.

James 5:10-11 “As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.”

Certainly that proved true in Joseph’s life as well.

But now Joseph has also come to the end of his life
And we find that he most certainly laid hold
To all that his father had taught him.

Notice what Joseph says:
(24) “Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will surely take care of you and bring you up from this land to the land which He promised on oath to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob.”

And let me tell you why Joseph saying that
Is different than all those before him.

• Who told Abraham about the land of promise?
• Who told Isaac about the land of promise?
• Who told Jacob about the land of promise?

But Joseph never had a direct revelation from God.
God made that promise to “Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob.”

God never made that promise specifically to Joseph.
He is merely believing what his father told him.
And yet Joseph is not only believing that promise, but banking on it.

Joseph proclaimed that promise
As though he had heard it from the lips of God.

And then Joseph acted on it.
(25-26) “Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely take care of you, and you shall carry my bones up from here.” So Joseph died at the age of one hundred and ten years; and he was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt.”

The writer of Hebrews called what Joseph did there an act of faith.
Hebrews 11:22 “By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave orders concerning his bones.”

Here is a man facing death and yet clinging to the promise.
His eyes are not fixed on the temporal, but the eternal.

Do you want some other examples of this?
Take Joseph of Arimathea:
Matthew 27:57-58 “When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him.”

If Joseph had only been looking at today, there is no way he risks his reputation and his life to honor Jesus.
But Joseph was looking to eternity.

How about this man?
Luke 23:40-43 “But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? “And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!” And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.”
There too is a man looking beyond the here and now.

This is precisely what Joseph is doing.
• He risked present comforts for an eternal promise and honored the request of his father
• He rejected present rights for the sake of eternal peace and sought the preservation of his brothers
• He recognized that after this life awaits eternity and he proclaimed the promise of his God.

Joseph is looking beyond Egypt.

And that is the call for you and me as well.

Regardless of how good or how hard it may be,
• We are only going to be in Egypt for a short while.
• We are looking for the land of promise.
• We are looking for a kingdom that cannot be shaken.
• We are looking for a city whose architect and builder is God.

Philippians 3:17-21 “Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.”

Follow the example of Godly men and women
Who lived for eternity, and not today.
(The Abraham’s – Isaac’s – Jacob’s – Joseph’s)

Hebrews 12:1-2 “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

That is the call.

And so as we bring the book of Genesis to a close,
If you want to sum up the message, it is really quite easy.

• Sin kills (Adam)
• Judgement is sure (Noah)
• Salvation is by grace through faith (Abraham)
• All whom God saves He conforms into the image of His Son (Jacob)
• God causes all things to work together for good (Joseph)
• So set your mind on things above, not on earthly things.

And do you want to know who learned that last lesson?
It was none other than the man who wrote this book.
(Moses)
Hebrews 11:24-27 “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen.”

The book of Genesis was not some history lesson to Moses.
To Moses this story was real…it was the gospel of God.
He had banked his life on this story.

He had come to believe the truths he preached about
Sin And Judgment,
Salvation And Sanctification,
Providence And Eternity.

Moses believed it and patterned his life after it.
And how he writes so that you will follow his lead.

The message of Genesis is the message of faith.
It is the call (like Abraham, like Jacob, like Joseph, like Moses)
To forsake this life and its passing pleasures and to reach for eternity.

It is the call to live beyond Egypt.

And that is the call of the gospel.
Matthew 16:24-27 “Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS.”

The Life That is All About Jesus – part 2
Colossians 3:1 – 4:1 (3:12-17)
May 10, 2015

As you know we are in the middle of a study called “It’s All About Jesus”

We’ve been studying through various passages in God’s Word
That help to remind us that the life that we live here on this earth
Is a life that is meant to be all about Him.

As a church loving Him is most important
As a Christian worshiping Him is most important

In fact, everything we do must be done because of Him.

And that is what we’ve started talking about here in Colossians chapter 3.

To briefly remind you of the scene again:

THE COLOSSIANS WERE BEING BULLIED.
• Some false teachers had claimed to have angelic visions that enlightened them to the expectation of God.

• According to them, the way to please God is to attend every feast and ordinance, to honor certain days above another, and to abstain from basic every day things.

One of their favorite sayings was quoted by Paul in chapter 2, verse 21:

Colossians 2:21 “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!”

According to these false teachers, you became pleasing to God
Through strict religious ritual and self-abasement.

Now, the reality is that those things may in fact look good,
But they won’t help you in the war against the flesh at all.

Colossians 2:23 “These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.”

The real goal of the Christian is
To walk by the Spirit and to crucify the flesh with its passions and desires.

Doing without basic things won’t make you more holy,
In reality it will probably only make you want those things more.

But this is what the Colossians had been taught.

And because the Colossians were eager to “look” like real Christians
They were actually submitting to these false doctrines.
Colossians 2:20-21 “If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!”

And so you remember the problem.

The Colossians had been snared.
They were trapped in a legalistic and depriving system of religiou all because they wanted to look real to the people who were teaching them.

To this Paul stepped in.
In chapter 3 Paul addresses the issue, and his solution is clear.
Start focusing on what Jesus wants and not on what these men want.

We actually saw the first point last Sunday night.
#1 THE PLEA FOR A JESUS FOCUSED LIFE
Colossians 3:1-11

And in this plea, we broke it down into 3 points.

1) The Request (1-3)

And the request was simple. Quit focusing on the things of this earth, or the things that people want from you.

Instead, fix your eyes on the heavens, because Christ is there
And start focusing on what He wants from you.

Next we saw:
2) The Reassurance (4)

The reassurance Paul seeks to give is that
Right now our spiritual life is hidden, undetected by people.

So trying to prove how real you are to other people is a futile endeavor. Instead, just seek to prove your love to Christ,
And when He appears, He will reveal that you were real.

3) The Requirement (5-7)

The false teachers were requiring adherence to ritual and self-abasement.

Well, God wasn’t opposed to sacrifice,
But His list was a little different than theirs.

He wasn’t asking you to quit drinking cokes,
God wants you to quit gratifying the flesh.

Things like “immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed”

These are the things that motivate God’s wrath, not eating meat.
GOD’S DESIRE IS THAT YOU LIVE HOLY, NOT DEPRIVED.

And finally we saw:
4) The Reminder (8-11)

And the reminder was simply
What God is actually trying to accomplish in our life.

Verse 10 reminded us that our old self has died and we have been given a new self “according to the image of the One who created him”

God’s objective is to conform you into the image of Jesus.
• God wasn’t trying to make you look more Jewish, or more Gentile.
• God wasn’t trying to make you look more circumcised or uncircumcised
• God wasn’t trying to make you look more Baptist or Methodist

God wants you to look more like Jesus.

And with that Paul’s request to the Colossians came into focus.

Please quit trying to live up to all the man-made standards
That these false teachers are throwing at you.
Instead fix your eyes on Jesus, look at Him, learn from Him,
And above all seek to be like Him.

That is the real goal.
And that is where we left off last Sunday night.

Tonight we move on to the second point.
#2 THE PATTERN OF A JESUS FOCUSED LIFE
Colossians 3:12-17

And of course this one is obvious.
There can only be one pattern for the Jesus focused life…Jesus.

And that is the point Paul unmistakably drives home here.

Verse 13 tells us we are to act “just as the Lord”

If we are to focus on being like Him,
Then certainly when we see what He is like,
We should pattern our lives after His example.

This is why I do hope to take this study to another level soon and start simply looking at some of the attributes of Jesus. They will give us the pattern to follow.

But even until that part of the study begins,
Paul already gives us some great attributes to consider.
And just as we did last Sunday night,
We can break this point down a little further as well.

There are three easy commands that Paul is giving us here.

1) FOLLOW CHRIST’S EXAMPLE (12-14)

I love the fact that Paul starts verse 12 with the word “So”
It carries an idea of an obvious response.

Since we are the new man, being conformed into Christ’s image,
Our next steps should be rather obvious.

“So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved…”

Not only is this the obvious response, it is the deserved one.

Paul reminds us that
• We are not new creatures by our own doing.
• We are not redeemed by our own efforts.
• We are not set free because of our own worth.

It was all by God’s sovereign election.
He chose us.
He made us holy.
He set His love on us.

Ephesians 1:3-8a “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us.”

You didn’t choose God, He chose you.
You didn’t move into His family, He adopted you.
It was all done out of His kindness and grace.

And if you grasp that, then you know that each of us
Owes all that we are to this gracious God.

I realize today is Mother’s Day, and trust me when I tell you that no one in here loves their momma more than I do.

How could you not love a woman who went through labor to get you here, met your every need, nursed your every wound, supported your wildest dreams, fought your hardest battles, and still thinks you’re the best looking thing the world has ever seen?

You ought to want to please a person like that. (and today we do)
But believe me that your mother has done nothing for you
Like what God has done for you.

Your mother didn’t chose you…you were assigned to her.
Your mother didn’t make you holy…she could barely keep you clean.
Now your mother may have loved you…but even that falls short of God’s love.

So when Paul reminds you that God chose you
And set His love on you, and made you holy,
Then you should instantly be motivated to do what He is asking.

And the clear request here is that you and I follow Christ’s example.
This is what God desires.

“put on a heart of compassion”
(also translated “mercy”)

Literally there he says to have “bowels of mercy”

It is the idea of just having an emotional pain for someone else.
And a pain that doesn’t just stop with the emotion,
But moves toward actual action.

I’ll show you some other times this word is used.
Romans 12:1 “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”

2 Corinthians 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,”

Obviously mercy and compassion are attributes of God.
And they are far more than mere emotion.

Jesus didn’t just weep over Jerusalem, He died on a cross for her.

And the compassion of Jesus
Is something we see time and time and time again.

Matthew 9:36 “Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.”

Matthew 14:14 “When He went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and felt compassion for them and healed their sick.”

Matthew 15:32 “And Jesus called His disciples to Him, and said, “I feel compassion for the people, because they have remained with Me now three days and have nothing to eat; and I do not want to send them away hungry, for they might faint on the way.”

Matthew 20:34 “Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him.”

And you get the idea.
Paul said, “put on a heart of compassion”

For some people compassion comes natural.
• Some people just have a bleeding heart.
• When they see someone hurting, they instinctively run to them.

But the rest of us must make a conscious effort to have compassion.
• You must choose to put it on.
• You must choose to demonstrate it.
• You must make an effort.

It is a conscious decision to follow Christ’s example.

But compassion isn’t the only thing you put on.

Paul also commanded us to “put on a heart of…kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.”

And of course every one of those attributes are attributes of Jesus.
(Incidentally they are also fruit of the Spirit)

“kindness” treats people better than they deserve.
“humility” considers others as more valuable than yourself.
“gentleness” doesn’t dominate those who are weaker.
“patience” doesn’t give up on people.

Philippians 2:1-4 “Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”

It’s obvious isn’t it?

And if it’s not, we’ll read the next verses.
(13-14) “bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.”

We must thank Paul here for reminding us that
We aren’t talking about being compassionate or kind or humble or patient
With people who are always easy to deal with.

Here Paul is talking about people we actually have a complaint against.
Here we are talking about people who aren’t easy to deal with.

And you know what I mean.

It’s not hard to be compassionate, or kind, or patient with people like Paula Fincher, but not everyone is like Paula Fincher.
Some people are hard to deal with.

Some people are like the people Jesus dealt with.
• Endless crowds who only wanted their physical needs met.
• Fickle crowds that doubted His power.
• People like Peter who tried to talk Him out of the cross.
• Or Israel in general who would nail Him to a cross.

Jesus dealt with difficult people and yet,
He forgave whatever complaints He had against them.
He chose compassion
He chose kindness
He chose humility
He chose patience

And the command is that you follow His example.
You do “just as the Lord”

And not just because He did it for others, but because He did it for you!

Matthew 18:23-35 “For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. “When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. “But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. “So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’ “And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt. “But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ “So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’ “But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed. “So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. “Then summoning him, his lord said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. ‘Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’ “And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. “My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”

It makes the point doesn’t it?

And if you want to know how Jesus was able to be so compassionate?

(14) “Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.”

Jesus could do it because He chose love.
He chose to sacrifice Himself for the good of others.
So, to keep it all in context:
You don’t have to spend your life trying to prove to people you are real,
Or trying to live up to their expectations of what a religious life looks like.

Instead fix your eyes on Jesus and strive to be like Him.
Follow His example – He is the pattern God wants you to copy.
He is the mold God wants to pour you in to.

So follow Christ’s example.
2) SUBMIT TO CHRIST’S DESIRE (15-16)

I hope you remember our study of these two verses
Back when we did our study on the Holy Spirit.

You first recognize that each command begins with a passive verb.

Paul isn’t commanding you to do anything here,
But rather for you to “Let” something happen.

The implication is that God is seeking to do something
And the command is for you not to resist it.

• The first command is to let something “rule”
• The second command is to let something “dwell”

And without even telling you what those things are,
You already know it is not something you will naturally do.

Paul is asking you to let someone live in your house and call all the shots.
AND OBVIOUSLY THAT PERSON IS CHRIST.

He wants you to let His word into your heart.
And when he says to let it “richly dwell”
He means for you to make it a place.

He means for you to let it be at home in your heart.
He means for you to let it be at peace in your life.

Don’t fight it.

Let me illustrate it:
Matthew 10:11-15 “And whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it, and stay at his house until you leave that city. “As you enter the house, give it your greeting. “If the house is worthy, give it your blessing of peace. But if it is not worthy, take back your blessing of peace. “Whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet. “Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.”

This is when Jesus first sent out the 12.
He commanded them to go and preach the gospel,
But He warned them that they were sheep among wolves.

They were to take the truth and preach it,
And those who accepted that word were to receive the blessing of peace.
Those who would not receive it would receive judgment.

This is the same thing Paul is referring to,
Only the missionary here is Christ.
Let His word dwell in peace in your life.

And incidentally this is what you were called to do.
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed your were called in one body; and be thankful.”

You were called to submit to Christ,
And you were called to be thankful that He is guiding you.

You are also called to let His word have its place in you.
How do I know if it does?

That’s simple:
If Christ’s word is in your heart, it will come out of your mouth.
(because the mouth speaks that which fills the heart)

“with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

It’s making sense isn’t it?

You are called to follow the pattern of Jesus.
You do this when you follow His example,
And submit to His desire.

• When He speaks, you listen
• When He makes changes, you submit
• When He walks, you follow
• You do as He does
• You do as He says

It’s not about following some earthly example,
We are being asked to be conformed into the image of Christ,
So work toward that.

Follow Christ’s Example
Submit to Christ’s Desire
3) HONOR CHRIST’S NAME (17)

And this may in fact be the key verse to the whole passage.
It most certainly is what Paul is driving at.

“Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”

How is that for blanket coverage?
“Whatever you do in word or deed”

I would say that sums it all up, wouldn’t you?
“do all in the name of the Lord Jesus”

What does that mean?
• It means you do everything you do for His glory.
• It means you do everything you do with the understanding that it effects how people will view Him.

Paul isn’t asking you to be compassionate and patient and kind and humble and loving and submissive
Because it will make YOU look good.

Paul is asking you to do those things
Because it makes CHRIST look good.

Christ is the goal
Christ is the example
We seek to be like Him so that people will see Him.

Is there a better verse in Scripture
For making the point that “It’s All About Jesus”?

Do everything you do in His name…for His glory.

1 Corinthians 10:31 “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

Proverbs 3:6 “In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.”

2 Chronicles 31:20-21 “Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah; and he did what was good, right and true before the LORD his God. Every work which he began in the service of the house of God in law and in commandment, seeking his God, he did with all his heart and prospered.”

That is certainly the idea.

We know that Paul wants us to live a life focused on Jesus.
And tonight He gives us the pattern to follow, which is Jesus.

All that Paul just asked of you was Jesus to a “T”
• He was compassionate,
• He was kind,
• He was humble,
• He was gentle,
• He was patient,
• He was forgiving,
• He was loving,
• He was submissive,
• He did everything He did for the glory of the Father.

He didn’t live this life for what was best for Him.
He lived this life for what was best for sinners
And for what was glorifying to God.

HE IS THE PATTERN.
It’s All About Jesus
And that is what Paul wants these Colossians to know.
Quit submitting to decrees such as
Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch.

Instead fix your gaze on Jesus,
And do everything in your power to live like Him.

The Life That Is All About Jesus – part 1
Colossians 3:1 – 4:1
May 3, 2015

As you know, for the last couple of months we’ve been on a Sunday night study that we have called, “It’s All About Jesus”

I do intend at some point to transform this study into sermons that are simply “about” Jesus. I hope to look at His mercy and compassion and zeal and commitment, etc.

But before we get there,
The Lord has really had us focusing on a different aspect of this series.

And that is the reminder that your life and my life and this church
Must be “All About Jesus”

We’ve seen that church at Ephesus who was so faithful in areas of doctrine and commitment and who fought for the gospel and exposed heresy.

And we saw how that church was about to be removed as a church because despite all their religious successes, they had failed to accomplish the most important thing – they weren’t in love with Jesus.

They had left their first love – it was the intolerable failure of Ephesus.

We watched Mary, who was twice rebuked for her zeal for Jesus.
Once because she sat at Jesus feet while her sister served…
Once because she seemingly wasted expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet…

Both times Mary was rebuked, but neither time by Jesus.
Mary understood that listening to Jesus was more important than a clean house, Mary understood that no gift was wasted if it was lavished on Jesus.

She had her priorities right in a world that was way out of sorts.

They have been pointed and vivid reminders to us
That our life is meant to be all about Jesus.
Loving Him, Seeking Him, Trusting Him

Tonight we continue, and we return to the book of Colossians.

You will remember that we actually started this study here looking at chapter 1,
In what we called “Jesus 101” where we simply saw that
Jesus does in fact deserve “first place in everything”

Well tonight I want to return to this book and look at chapter 3.

If chapter 1 gave us “Jesus 101”,
Then chapter 3 gives us “Christianity 101”

If you were to go out into the streets this week and share the gospel and were granted the awesome privilege of seeing someone come to faith in Christ,
And then that person said, “What should I read?”

I can’t think of a better chapter than Colossians 3.

It is about as practical and direct on what the Christian life should be
As any chapter you’ll find in Scripture.

It is basic – but in reality that is what this study is about.
Getting back to the basics of Christianity
With the reminder that, “It’s All About Jesus”

So we’re going to spend the next few Sunday nights in this great chapter.

Now you know I don’t like simply picking up midstream…I much prefer a complete book study because the context is so important.
So let me again give you the context.

You already know from our previous study that the Colossian church was under doctrinal attack.

They had multiple heresies seeking to infiltrate that church.
• There was Gnosticism
• There was paganism
• There was Jewish Legalism

This threat is expressed in chapter 2
Colossians 2:8 “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.”

There was the threat of “empty deception”
• Some of it was philosophical
• Some of it was traditional
• Some of it was downright worldly

And the church at Colossae was sort of in danger
Of becoming a melting pot for all of these.

Paul wrote the letter to right the ship,
And the solution was to focus the Colossians on Christ.

In chapter 2, the specific deception Paul was dealing with
Was a mixture of MYSTICISM and LEGALISM.

There were people who claimed a special revelatory vision from the Lord
Which spoke to how important things like self-abasement,
And participation in various feasts and festivals was.

Colossians 2:16-19 “Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day — things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ. Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God.”

These people were clearly “puffed up” and arrogant
Since they had received this higher revelation through some sort of angelic vision and now they were using that to get everyone else to fall into step with them.

They were manipulating others
To get involved in all these feasts and ordinances
And to deprive themselves of basic necessities.

Paul even says they were leading others to worship angels,
No doubt by causing these people to seek out their own angelic visions.

And this was absolutely heretical.
Furthermore it was of no value.

Colossians 2:20-23 “If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” (which all refer to things destined to perish with use) — in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.”

In other words, what they are doing, certainly does look good.
No different than the Pharisee who prayed on the street corner, or who blasted a trumpet when he gave, or who neglected his appearance when he fasted.

The only problem is Paul said all of that was
“of no value against fleshly indulgence”

In other words, all of that nonsense doesn’t help you
Accomplish the real goal, which is to kill the flesh.

In fact asceticism (doctrine of self-depravation)
Actually GRATIFIES THE FLESH in a strange sort of way.

It achieves glory from others, which gratifies the ego.
(That is why Jesus said to give in secret, pray in secret, and fast in secret –
Don’t give the flesh an opportunity to be gratified)

But this was the problem in Colossae.

You have all these new Gentile Christians who are being told that
The life God expects of them is a life of rigorous religious involvement and self-deprivation.
And this absolutely exhausting and oppressive.

That is why Paul said in verse 18,
“Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize…”

Don’t let someone steal the true benefits of Christianity
By throwing you into bondage.

Strenuous religious involvement and self-deprivation
Are NOT the expectations of God.

Paul told Timothy that those things were actually the doctrine of demons.
1 Timothy 4:1-5 “But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer.”

So the men who were preaching this asceticism to the Colossians may have indeed seen an angelic vision, but it was a fallen angel to be sure.
God was not requiring those things.

Well, that brings us to the question before us, which is this:
What is God requiring?
If God doesn’t want religion and deprivation, what does He want?

What is the Christian life supposed to look like?
(If not a bunch of monks walking around?)

And that is the question Paul answers in Colossians 3.
If I could spill the beans and give you the answer
Before we ever get into it, it’s simple.

God expects you to be conformed into the image of Christ.
He wants you to focus on Him
He wants you to strive to be like Him
And everything you do, he wants you to do because of Him

And that is what Paul will show the Colossians.

We can divide the chapter into 3 points, though we won’t get through it all tonight.
#1 THE PLEA FOR A JESUS FOCUSED LIFE
Colossians 3:1-11

Of course you recognize that Paul begins this section with “Therefore”

This is the response to all of those false visions
You’ve been hearing about.
And we can break these verses down a little further.
1) THE REQUEST (1-2)

“Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.”

The first thing you must notice is that this is a “qualified” statement.
We see the word “if” in there.

“if you have been raised up with Christ”

We are only here dealing with people
Who have been “raised up with Christ”

Well, what does that mean?

Ephesians 2:1-6 “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ ( by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,”

In those 6 verses Paul spoke of several spiritual realities.
• He spoke of the reality of spiritual death – which you had.
• He spoke of the reality of lusting after the flesh – which you did.
• He spoke of the reality of being under divine wrath – which you were.

But those realities gave way to new realities.
Thanks to the amazing grace of God.

He replaced your death with life, and then He raised you up.

Paul said, “and raised us up with Him,
And seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”

Once we were trapped in sin, longing for sin,
And not only were we forgiven, but we were “raised” beyond that.

Romans 6:1-7 “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.”
And here it’s coming into even greater focus.

The question was asked if the way to get more grace
Was to commit more sin.

If grace increases when sin increases then it only stands to reason that if you want more grace then you should commit more sin – WRONG

A Christian should never be ok with sin.
Why?

Because “we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.”

When we came to Christ, we identified with His death.
Paul said we were “crucified with Christ”
We died to self.

But we didn’t stay dead, just as Christ didn’t stay dead.
We experienced a resurrection.
A resurrection of a new spiritual life.

What once was dead was now alive.
• And this new life was no longer in bondage to sin.
• We were set free.

And that is what Paul is talking about here in Colossians.
“Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ”

Paul is saying, if you have been redeemed.
If you received that new resurrected life.
If you have died to self and been given new life in Christ.

If that is you… “keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.”

Why should you seek the things above?
Because that’s where Christ is.

We are to seek out all that Christ has and desires for us.

Paul will even restate it.
(2) “Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.”

You can live this life focusing on all the things around you
And what it demands of you,
Or you can live this life focused on Christ
And all that He wants and has for you.
And this is the struggle that the Colossians are facing.

Someone has told them that they have to attend every religious function and feast, and honor all those days and abstain from all those foods.
They were told to really pay attention to all of that earthly stuff.

And Paul says, “No”, don’t be focused on what these men require of you, instead be focused on what Christ requires of you.

That is the request.
Focus on what Christ is wanting, not on what all those puffed up teachers are wanting.

2) THE REASSURANCE (3-4)

(3-4) “For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.”

And this is really important.
Do you remember why those false teachers participate in all those feasts and all those acts of self-deprivation?

Colossians 2:23a “These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body…”

They do it because it looks good.
It impresses people.

And the Colossians were willing to do it also
So that they would not be labeled as
“unrighteous” or “Not devout” or “uncommitted”

Well, I don’t want people to think I’m not a real Christian, so I guess I better do all that stuff too.

If they do it, and I don’t, they won’t think I’m real.

And so participating in all that nonsense
Really becomes a show or a demonstration
Just to try and prove to other people that you are a real Christian too.

Here is something you need to remember.
“For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”

“hidden” translates KRYPTO
It’s where we get our work for cryptic
It means, that it can’t be readily seen.

And think about it, can anyone in here see my spiritual life?
(You may see what you think to be the fruit of it, but you can’t physically see a light in my chest that reveals I have spiritual life)

And some, because they want others to see it,
Then start jumping through hoops
To make sure everyone else knows they are real.

But Paul says your true spiritual identity is actually “hidden” in Christ.
But some day it will be revealed.

(4) “When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.”

When does Paul say your genuineness will be revealed?
At the same time Christ’s genuineness is revealed.

Here is the point.
Don’t spend your life jumping through all those hoops
Just to try and prove to someone that you are real,
Instead focus on pleasing Christ (which is what it means to be real)
And someday Christ will show everyone that you were real.

This is a very freeing reality when you grab it.
• I don’t have to prove my Christianity to you.
• I don’t have to prove to you how much I love Jesus.
• I don’t have to participate in every goofy religious event to prove that I am real.

That is what Paul meant up in chapter 2
Colossians 2:16 “Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day”

Don’t let someone else be the judge as to whether or not you are real.
Only one opinion in that regard matters.
Whose? (Jesus)

If His opinion regarding how devout you are is the only One that matters,
Then I suppose He should be the only One you try to please.
(Hence “keep seeking things above, where Christ is”)

Now I’m not saying that as Christians we shouldn’t demonstrate Christ.
I’m not saying we should let our light shine.
I’m not saying that our faith shouldn’t be evident.
(in fact Paul will get to that later in the chapter)

Certainly we want to demonstrate our love for Christ.

What I am saying is that we don’t have to prove our love for Christ
To anyone but Christ.

It only matters what Christ thinks, so seek Christ.
And He’ll show the world that you were real.

The Request, The Reassurance
3) THE REQUIREMENT (5-7)

(5-7) “Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them.”

Now the false teachers were adamant that
You should do without something.

They didn’t want you to eat certain foods
They didn’t want you to handle certain things

Their decrees were outlined in verse 21 of chapter 2
Colossians 2:21 “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!”

It was all self-deprivation as a means of being pleasing to God.

But Paul wants you to know that God’s list
Might be a little different than theirs.
God isn’t asking you to abstain from meat or marriage or coffee

God’s list is much different.
God’s list is “immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed”

Paul says “consider the members of your earthly body as dead to” these things.

The NIV has it more accurate when it says, “put to death…”

If you really are one of those people who has died to self and found new life in Christ, then by all means kill off the old man.

In regard to the fact that we are crucified with Christ, Adrian Rogers said, “You’ve been dead for 2,000 years, don’t you think it’s time you had your funeral?”

We are past it now, but I get almost amused (or more accurately frustrated) every year when the Catholic lent comes around.
You know how it works, in order to be more pleasing to God, they are going to willfully abstain from certain pleasures, and their sacrifice is supposedly going to make them more pleasing to God.

I’ve heard of people giving up cokes
I had a friend in Jr. High that gave up “dried squid”
They give up all sorts of things.
And just as Paul said, that has the appearance of wisdom,
But in reality is of no value in helping you kill the flesh.

All doing without cokes for 40 days will do is make you want more cokes,
It won’t draw you closer to God, or make you more holy.

God would rather you abstain from “immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed which amounts to idolatry.”

WHY?
(6) “For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience,”

God won’t judge the world for drinking coke,
But He will judge them for sexual immorality.

Well, why do I need to focus so hard on getting rid of that stuff?
BECAUSE YOU ARE A RECOVERING SINNER.

(7) “and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them.”

Do you get Paul’s point?
• Seek the things that Christ requires,
• And let Him be the One who declares whether or not you are
pleasing.

In regard to self-deprivation and giving stuff up?
• Well don’t give up brisket, give up sexual “immorality”.
• Don’t give up dried squid, give up “greed”.

God doesn’t mind you drinking a Dr. Pepper,
But He does take issue “evil desire”.

So be sure and seek to please the One that matters.
Don’t spend your life trying to be pleasing to some false teacher
Who has angelic visions.

Spend your life focused on Christ
And what He desires and on what pleases Him.

And that leads us to the fourth point here.
4) THE REMINDER (8-11)

(8-11) “But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him — a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.”

First he adds to his list of things that are displeasing to God.

“anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech”

And then Paul says “Do not lie to one another…”

WHY?
“since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him”

Now we’ve come full circle.
• You were the one who acknowledged you were dead in sin.
• You were the one who cried out to Christ for new life.
• Now that He has given it to you and raised you up, by all means seek to live it.

The old man supposedly died, you are supposedly a new man,
Then quit living like the old man and start living like the new.

And incidentally this new man “is being renewed…according to the image of the One who created him.”

This new man is being continually renovated to look like the One who gave you this new life…Jesus.

Is it coming into focus?

You are concerned about doing all these external religious things
To make sure you are pleasing to all these people here on earth.

Instead you should be focused on what Christ wants
Since He is the One who gave you this new life to begin with.

And since the goal is that you start to look like Christ,
Then by all means do everything you possible can to look like Him.

Put on the new self that is being renewed.

(11) “a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.”

Notice what he said.
The renewal that God is working is not a renewal to make you look more “Greek” or more “Jew” or more “circumcised” or more “uncircumcised”

It’s not a renewal meant to conform you to some earthly race or ritual.
The renewal God is working on is all about Christ.

It’s a renewal where “Christ is all, and in all”
THAT’S THE GOAL!!!

The goal of God is not to conform you to some earthly pattern. The goal of God is to conform you to a heavenly pattern.

Who is that? Christ

Romans 8:29 “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;”

The Colossians were getting all mixed up
Because they were trying to conform to some man-made pattern,
And Paul says, STOP.

Quit looking at them, and start looking at Jesus,
He is the One you’re supposed to look like.
“Christ is all”
And so again I can remind you that “It’s All About Jesus”
What we do is not primarily to please others.
What we do is primarily to please the Lord.

This new life God has given is not to make you more religious,
It is to make you more righteous.

God has elevated Jesus
That you might gaze upon Him and be transformed into His image,
So if you’ve been given this new life, then by all means seek it out.

“keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set our mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.”

 

THAT IS PAUL’S PLEA FOR A JESUS FOCUSED LIFE.

When you rise in the morning and go to bed at night,
Focus; set your mind on; being like Christ.
And when Christ appears, He will make sure that everyone will see it.

We’ll carry this farther next week…