1 00:00:06,760 --> 00:00:12,360 We often see this term said when there's a car accident, when 2 00:00:12,360 --> 00:00:14,640 someone does something wrong, we go, what were you thinking? 3 00:00:16,440 --> 00:00:20,840 What were you thinking? What's the title of this 4 00:00:20,840 --> 00:00:23,160 morning's message? What are you thinking? 5 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:28,600 Paul has spent the last two chapters, Chapter 1 and Chapter 6 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:33,000 2 of the letter to the church in Colossae, modern day Turkey 7 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:36,960 today, laying out the important doctrine of the preeminence of 8 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:40,160 Jesus Christ. He's been combating the 9 00:00:40,160 --> 00:00:42,600 Gnostics, modern day Jehovah Witnesses. 10 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:47,000 He's been combating the the legalists. 11 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:50,080 That is the Judeo Isis who said, well, to be a Christian, yeah, 12 00:00:50,080 --> 00:00:52,480 that's Jesus is good. But you got to you got to live 13 00:00:52,480 --> 00:00:54,080 the Sabbath floor. You can't eat this. 14 00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:57,560 You can't eat that. It wasn't for snack pack. 15 00:00:57,560 --> 00:01:00,600 A kid would starve. That was just something else. 16 00:01:01,920 --> 00:01:05,120 The law. Jesus nailed all those things to 17 00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:07,240 the cross. We read about that put him out 18 00:01:07,240 --> 00:01:09,400 the road. The law had a job. 19 00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:12,200 The Lord's job was to show us we needed a saviour. 20 00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:15,640 And we can't live by rules and regulations yet. 21 00:01:15,680 --> 00:01:18,680 You know, you and I, we grow up and, or I grew up in Australia 22 00:01:18,680 --> 00:01:20,960 where we thought church was about do's and don'ts. 23 00:01:20,960 --> 00:01:22,840 You know, don't do this and don't do that. 24 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:26,200 Don't swear, you know, don't dress terrible, dress up, dress 25 00:01:26,200 --> 00:01:28,240 up on a Sunday, do the right thing. 26 00:01:28,240 --> 00:01:30,760 The do's and don'ts. That's what Christianity was to 27 00:01:30,760 --> 00:01:34,040 most of us. But that's the law. 28 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:39,280 Jesus came to change all that to have grace. 29 00:01:42,960 --> 00:01:47,000 Paul said we need nothing more. You don't need a Pope. 30 00:01:48,200 --> 00:01:53,400 God bless him, pray for his salvation. 31 00:01:58,940 --> 00:02:01,860 Bible says we are complete in Christ. 32 00:02:03,420 --> 00:02:05,140 The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. 33 00:02:05,140 --> 00:02:10,580 I have everything. And how? 34 00:02:10,580 --> 00:02:13,660 Jesus Christ is the image of the invisible God. 35 00:02:13,660 --> 00:02:17,380 He's not a God as the Gnostics of Jehovah Witnesses would say. 36 00:02:17,740 --> 00:02:21,380 He is the God. He is God in the flesh fully. 37 00:02:21,380 --> 00:02:27,320 God is the very image of the invisible God, you and I, We 38 00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:29,520 want to know what is God like? What does he look like? 39 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:32,520 Well, you know, what is he? Because God's a spirit. 40 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:36,400 Jesus said that to the woman at the well in John chapter 4. 41 00:02:37,120 --> 00:02:41,800 And Jesus says the one you're talking about, I'm, I'm he, 42 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:45,280 you're the Messiah. Yes. 43 00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:50,720 Now Paul gets down to the practicalities chapter 3 and 4 44 00:02:50,960 --> 00:02:56,680 of how our Christian walk. Now we know this stuff is to be 45 00:02:56,680 --> 00:02:59,720 lived out in our lives. The problem with many Christians 46 00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:04,960 today or church attenders is they don't know chapters 1 and 47 00:03:04,960 --> 00:03:06,960 2. They don't know Romans chapter 48 00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:09,680 one through to seven. So they have no understanding of 49 00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:12,040 Romans chapter 8. There is therefore now no 50 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:15,720 condemnation and they don't know how to live as a Christian. 51 00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:17,120 They just live like everybody else. 52 00:03:17,120 --> 00:03:19,920 They think, well you know me and God, we're tight. 53 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:23,280 He knows me, I know him. No, he doesn't know you. 54 00:03:24,320 --> 00:03:26,240 There's only one way to know God. 55 00:03:27,280 --> 00:03:29,520 Jesus Christ says I am the way, the truth and the life. 56 00:03:29,760 --> 00:03:31,960 No man comes to the Father but by me. 57 00:03:34,760 --> 00:03:38,440 How to live the Christian life. Good question, what it should 58 00:03:38,440 --> 00:03:41,120 look like. I recommend to you if you ever 59 00:03:41,120 --> 00:03:44,760 really want to know, I'm not sure if someone is a Christian 60 00:03:44,760 --> 00:03:46,920 or not. They say that read 1 John. 1 61 00:03:46,920 --> 00:03:49,600 John will tell you this is what a Christian looks like. 62 00:03:50,280 --> 00:03:57,000 If you're Italian, it's little Giovanni 1 John after all. 63 00:03:57,400 --> 00:04:00,680 It does little good. It is of no benefit if 64 00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:06,280 Christians talk about who Christ is, if we defend his truth but 65 00:04:06,280 --> 00:04:11,400 fail to demonstrate, manifest him in our lives. 66 00:04:12,160 --> 00:04:16,519 When your life does not back your declaration of truth, what 67 00:04:16,519 --> 00:04:21,839 you say, what you believe, the show is over. 68 00:04:22,680 --> 00:04:25,920 And that's the problem with a generation of kids that goes to 69 00:04:25,920 --> 00:04:29,000 church with mum and dad, because mum and dad kind of go to 70 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:31,760 church. They're kind of, they do it out 71 00:04:31,760 --> 00:04:36,800 of like, yeah, well, to be, to be, OK, but they're not 72 00:04:36,800 --> 00:04:40,640 reflecting it in how they live. And so the kids get to the age 73 00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:44,240 and go oh I'm a gun anymore, didn't make any difference to my 74 00:04:44,240 --> 00:04:47,320 dad. Hasn't changed my dad and mum's 75 00:04:47,320 --> 00:04:53,600 marriage so why should I bother? Your witness is extinct. 76 00:04:54,640 --> 00:04:58,600 It all comes crashing down if what you say isn't lived out and 77 00:04:58,600 --> 00:05:02,480 how you live. Parents, mums and dads, you hear 78 00:05:02,480 --> 00:05:08,360 today your kids are watching. I have a finger on a switch 79 00:05:09,440 --> 00:05:13,400 where the yes, I'm going to go this way because mom and dad 80 00:05:13,400 --> 00:05:18,600 really do love God and I see how God works in their life or no, 81 00:05:18,600 --> 00:05:23,040 it's just, it's just the game and they'll flip the switch 82 00:05:23,560 --> 00:05:30,080 themselves. Paul wrote to Titus about this. 83 00:05:30,080 --> 00:05:33,960 He says in the last days there would be people who profess to 84 00:05:33,960 --> 00:05:37,960 know God, but in works they will deny him. 85 00:05:37,960 --> 00:05:40,840 In the way that they live, they'll deny him being 86 00:05:40,840 --> 00:05:42,920 abominable. That's not being a snowman 87 00:05:45,160 --> 00:05:47,080 disobedient. They don't do what the Bible 88 00:05:47,080 --> 00:05:50,320 says and disqualified from every good work. 89 00:05:50,320 --> 00:05:51,960 What they do is all for themselves. 90 00:05:51,960 --> 00:05:54,880 They do nothing for God. The good works that you and I 91 00:05:54,880 --> 00:05:59,280 do, Ephesians chapter 1, God created the good works for you 92 00:05:59,320 --> 00:06:01,920 and I to do. So the good work that you do is 93 00:06:01,920 --> 00:06:03,720 that which God has created you to do. 94 00:06:03,880 --> 00:06:07,600 The question is, are you doing what you're doing or are you 95 00:06:07,600 --> 00:06:09,920 doing the good works that God has created you to do? 96 00:06:13,480 --> 00:06:17,640 The teaching of Christ, the precious message of the Gospel, 97 00:06:18,200 --> 00:06:22,800 brought a whole new concept of life and worship in what was a 98 00:06:22,840 --> 00:06:27,840 Pagan driven world at the time of Paul, Pagan worship was cut 99 00:06:27,840 --> 00:06:31,520 and dry. If you worship the false God 100 00:06:31,600 --> 00:06:35,720 like the Romans and many of throughout Europe, the Greeks, 101 00:06:35,800 --> 00:06:40,920 it made no difference how you lived as long as you bowed down 102 00:06:40,920 --> 00:06:43,040 to the God. You went to the God, bowed down 103 00:06:43,040 --> 00:06:46,440 to the statue and then you brought your offerings in Bali. 104 00:06:46,440 --> 00:06:49,600 You see, if you've ever been to Bali, you see around those stone 105 00:06:49,600 --> 00:06:54,320 images, they have the the pat cash bandana around their their 106 00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:55,920 heads. I don't always wondered about 107 00:06:55,920 --> 00:06:57,320 that. They have umbrellas over them. 108 00:06:58,160 --> 00:07:00,440 I was really tempted them first and only time I've been to Bali 109 00:07:00,440 --> 00:07:04,480 to go up and put some zinc on some of the the stone idols. 110 00:07:04,480 --> 00:07:06,880 But that would be not the right thing to do. 111 00:07:06,880 --> 00:07:07,960 I probably would have been killed. 112 00:07:10,520 --> 00:07:13,160 And they placed before them a bowl of oranges and fruit. 113 00:07:14,840 --> 00:07:20,240 Nobody eats them because the stone image can't eat an orange. 114 00:07:22,280 --> 00:07:27,120 But to the pagans, as long as you went there, bowed down, gave 115 00:07:27,120 --> 00:07:30,200 you offering, and you can go back, do whatever you like. 116 00:07:30,280 --> 00:07:36,680 Kill someone, rob, pillage, lie, deceive, be a thief, make no 117 00:07:36,680 --> 00:07:38,040 difference. You can live as you please. 118 00:07:39,400 --> 00:07:44,600 Christianity comes on and changes all this dramatically 119 00:07:46,600 --> 00:07:52,120 and you become Christ like. And they called the followers of 120 00:07:52,200 --> 00:07:56,920 Christ the way little Christ because they are reflecting the 121 00:07:56,920 --> 00:07:59,920 life of Christ. That's what you and I are. 122 00:07:59,960 --> 00:08:02,680 We're to reflect the life of Christ. 123 00:08:02,960 --> 00:08:06,960 So as you read the gospels, that's the life that you should 124 00:08:06,960 --> 00:08:10,480 be living, the life of Christ. You want to know how to live, 125 00:08:10,480 --> 00:08:12,000 what to do. What would Jesus do in this 126 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:13,760 situation? Well, that's what you should do 127 00:08:13,760 --> 00:08:19,000 in this situation. For a Christian, if we shared in 128 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:22,240 Christ's life, we must also follow his example. 129 00:08:22,680 --> 00:08:28,040 The Holy Spirit cannot live in US and permit us to continue to 130 00:08:28,040 --> 00:08:33,159 live in sin, to be habitually practising sin. 131 00:08:33,159 --> 00:08:40,360 Let's read chapter 3, verse one. If then, and that is in the 132 00:08:40,360 --> 00:08:47,600 Greek since then you were past tense raised with Christ. 133 00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:51,840 OK, since you were raised with Christ, we're buried with Him. 134 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:53,760 Now we're raised with Him. Everyone got that. 135 00:08:54,880 --> 00:08:59,000 Now it tells you what to do. The practical part, seek those 136 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:04,360 things which are above where Christ is and he gives a little 137 00:09:04,360 --> 00:09:07,880 bit more information. There He is sitting at the right 138 00:09:07,880 --> 00:09:10,200 hand of God. We'll explain why Paul writes 139 00:09:10,200 --> 00:09:13,120 that and tells that. Then here's the second. 140 00:09:13,120 --> 00:09:14,760 It's a two point sermon this morning. 141 00:09:15,080 --> 00:09:21,360 Seek those things. Then verse 2, set your mind so 142 00:09:21,360 --> 00:09:25,080 it takes brains. Christians don't come to church 143 00:09:25,280 --> 00:09:28,480 and check out their brains at the foyer and then collect them 144 00:09:28,480 --> 00:09:34,040 as they go out again. Christianity makes you think 145 00:09:34,200 --> 00:09:41,240 sanely, wisely set your mind of things above. 146 00:09:42,200 --> 00:09:46,080 OK, here's the opposite. Not on things on the earth. 147 00:09:46,080 --> 00:09:50,800 We'll look at what those what, what are the things he he goes 148 00:09:50,800 --> 00:09:55,560 back for you died. Remember Jesus died. 149 00:09:55,560 --> 00:10:00,280 We reckon ourselves dead when Christ died on the cross and 150 00:10:00,280 --> 00:10:03,120 your life is hidden with Christ in God. 151 00:10:03,480 --> 00:10:06,640 There was this unique energy of God, work of God. 152 00:10:06,640 --> 00:10:10,560 We looked at that on Wednesday night where God connected us to 153 00:10:10,560 --> 00:10:13,040 his Son. If by faith we believe that 154 00:10:13,120 --> 00:10:17,320 Jesus died for us and therefore we died, our old self is dead. 155 00:10:17,600 --> 00:10:21,400 And then when Jesus rose from the dead on the third day, we, 156 00:10:21,560 --> 00:10:25,680 by the power of God and by God's word are seen in God to have 157 00:10:25,680 --> 00:10:28,480 risen with a new life in Christ. We've changed. 158 00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:36,200 When now verse 4, Notice this. So when Christ, who is our life, 159 00:10:36,880 --> 00:10:38,360 That's what. So I don't know. 160 00:10:38,640 --> 00:10:40,960 You know, I've been trying to find out who I am and where I, 161 00:10:40,960 --> 00:10:42,600 what I am. OK, it's here. 162 00:10:43,320 --> 00:10:46,880 Christ, who is our life. That's your life, that's your 163 00:10:46,880 --> 00:10:50,360 identity. You don't have to go to India 164 00:10:50,360 --> 00:10:53,280 and sit at the feet of some guru to find out. 165 00:10:53,280 --> 00:10:54,400 I'm just trying to find out who I am. 166 00:10:54,400 --> 00:10:56,400 You're going to look, first of all, you're going to look at 167 00:10:56,400 --> 00:10:58,480 your driver's licence. That'll tell you who you are. 168 00:11:01,640 --> 00:11:04,920 But when Christ, who is our life appears, this is the second 169 00:11:04,920 --> 00:11:07,840 coming. Then you also will appear. 170 00:11:07,840 --> 00:11:13,920 Notice with Him in glory, you come back with Him, the second 171 00:11:13,920 --> 00:11:17,520 coming. Jude chapter one, verse 14. 172 00:11:17,520 --> 00:11:21,360 Behold, the Lord comes with 10 thousands of his Saints. 173 00:11:21,680 --> 00:11:23,920 Now I don't like horses. I grew up with horses. 174 00:11:23,920 --> 00:11:26,240 I hate horses. The some of you are horse 175 00:11:26,240 --> 00:11:28,920 lovers. Good, awesome. 176 00:11:29,680 --> 00:11:31,800 But here's something that I'm going to have to cope with. 177 00:11:31,800 --> 00:11:33,640 But God will change me and he has changed me. 178 00:11:34,000 --> 00:11:44,880 I will come back on a horse. God has his way and you, we'll 179 00:11:44,880 --> 00:11:47,160 be on a horse as well. It's quite amazing. 180 00:11:47,160 --> 00:11:49,480 We're going to, when we finish Colossians, I'm going to go 181 00:11:49,480 --> 00:11:52,440 through the Book of Revelation again on the Sunday morning in a 182 00:11:52,440 --> 00:11:56,720 different way. The Lord comes with 10 183 00:11:56,720 --> 00:11:58,840 thousands. We Saints, the second coming of 184 00:11:58,840 --> 00:12:02,120 Christ, the rapture. We're taken up to be with him, 185 00:12:02,280 --> 00:12:04,400 meet him in the air. The second coming. 186 00:12:05,040 --> 00:12:07,520 Seven years later, we come back with him. 187 00:12:07,680 --> 00:12:10,320 Christ puts his feet on the Mount of Olives. 188 00:12:11,600 --> 00:12:16,000 The mountain splits and he sets up his rule and reign in 189 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:20,840 Jerusalem for 1000 years. My question to you this morning 190 00:12:20,840 --> 00:12:25,440 is what are you thinking? What are you thinking not just 191 00:12:25,440 --> 00:12:29,680 this morning, but what is it that occupies your mind day in 192 00:12:29,680 --> 00:12:33,640 and day out? Remember the old saying a penny 193 00:12:33,640 --> 00:12:38,080 for your thoughts? Throughout the gospels we find 194 00:12:38,400 --> 00:12:42,680 Jesus often revealing to those around him, listening to him 195 00:12:44,320 --> 00:12:47,240 what they were thinking. He knew what was on their mind 196 00:12:47,240 --> 00:12:49,560 and in their hearts. Remember, the guys lowered their 197 00:12:49,560 --> 00:12:52,000 friend down through the roof. They pull the roof apart and 198 00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:57,720 they lower their mate down. Jesus forgives the guy on the 199 00:12:57,720 --> 00:13:02,280 floor, and the guys are sitting around the Ferris of the gun 200 00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:05,800 man. Only God, what's going on here? 201 00:13:05,800 --> 00:13:07,600 Jesus then tells, which is easier. 202 00:13:08,320 --> 00:13:10,560 He knows their thoughts. He knows their heart. 203 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:13,840 Remember, Jesus says at dinner at someone's house, he's an 204 00:13:13,840 --> 00:13:17,120 invited guest. A woman comes in, she weeps over 205 00:13:17,120 --> 00:13:21,320 his feet, washes and drives the tears with her hair. 206 00:13:21,800 --> 00:13:25,600 And the the guy sitting there, he's thinking, man, if he knew 207 00:13:25,600 --> 00:13:27,840 what sort of woman this was, he, he wouldn't allow her to touch 208 00:13:27,840 --> 00:13:31,840 her. And then Jesus talks about Simon 209 00:13:33,320 --> 00:13:35,920 and he tells the story of the dead who loves much, is forgiven 210 00:13:35,920 --> 00:13:38,280 much. He knows what you're thinking 211 00:13:39,600 --> 00:13:43,080 when Jesus died on the cross at Calvary, He died for our sin, 212 00:13:43,480 --> 00:13:48,920 but he also, as Paul has taught us, Christ broke and you need to 213 00:13:48,920 --> 00:13:50,720 hear this and you need to live this. 214 00:13:51,080 --> 00:13:58,000 He broke the power of sin over our lives once and for all. 215 00:14:01,400 --> 00:14:06,240 We have changed who we are. We died on the cross. 216 00:14:07,040 --> 00:14:11,400 How old me dead, the new me rose. 217 00:14:12,440 --> 00:14:20,800 We've changed who we are, how we live now, how I speak now, and 218 00:14:20,800 --> 00:14:26,080 what I think now is different to what I was before I came to 219 00:14:26,080 --> 00:14:29,720 Christ. The question is, can we see 220 00:14:29,720 --> 00:14:32,240 this? Can I see this in your life? 221 00:14:32,920 --> 00:14:37,800 Can you see this in my life now we have victory over our old sin 222 00:14:37,800 --> 00:14:40,400 nature. Before we just went along with 223 00:14:40,400 --> 00:14:42,160 it. We were puppets. 224 00:14:42,160 --> 00:14:44,880 Ephesians chapter 2. We were children of the devil. 225 00:14:44,880 --> 00:14:47,920 He just pulled the strings and we danced and did what he wanted 226 00:14:47,920 --> 00:14:53,120 us to do. We were Pinocchio and our old 227 00:14:53,120 --> 00:14:57,760 nature wanted to control us. In Romans chapter 6 verse 2, 228 00:14:58,880 --> 00:15:05,320 Paul says since we have died and we have, how can we continue to 229 00:15:05,320 --> 00:15:09,440 live in it? A guy came to this crusade that 230 00:15:09,440 --> 00:15:12,880 was happening and each night as the minister called for those 231 00:15:12,880 --> 00:15:15,720 who want to come to know Christ, he would come forward and said, 232 00:15:15,720 --> 00:15:19,640 oh please pray for me for the web of sin upon my life. 233 00:15:19,840 --> 00:15:23,560 The web of sin is upon my life. Each night he come out please 234 00:15:23,560 --> 00:15:25,920 pray for the web of sin and all my life. 235 00:15:25,920 --> 00:15:30,000 And then some old Sinner, sorry, A St said in the church on the 236 00:15:30,000 --> 00:15:32,600 final night of the crusade. Kill the spider. 237 00:15:40,570 --> 00:15:43,370 Since we have died, how can we continue to live in it? 238 00:15:44,010 --> 00:15:47,850 Now, if I hop in a car or a man hops in a car and he drives off 239 00:15:47,850 --> 00:15:51,090 and he speeds and he goes through all the red lights and 240 00:15:51,290 --> 00:15:54,730 he's doing 170 kilometres an hour and he's just flogging on 241 00:15:54,730 --> 00:15:56,450 down the road. And then the police go after him 242 00:15:56,450 --> 00:15:59,330 with the sirens, and the police pursuit occurs. 243 00:15:59,610 --> 00:16:03,480 And then he drives off. And he's, you know, endangering 244 00:16:03,480 --> 00:16:06,120 people, crashing, and he keeps driving and he smacks into a 245 00:16:06,120 --> 00:16:11,320 tree, and he's dead. The police don't come up to him 246 00:16:11,320 --> 00:16:13,840 and go, right? And they seem slumped over. 247 00:16:13,840 --> 00:16:17,000 He's dead as a doornail, Right. There's a ticket for speeding, 248 00:16:19,080 --> 00:16:20,800 for running away. Now, have you got anything to 249 00:16:20,800 --> 00:16:21,920 say about that? No. 250 00:16:21,920 --> 00:16:25,400 No, because he's dead. Can't do any more. 251 00:16:26,920 --> 00:16:35,680 You see our old me, the old me is dead, Paul says in verse 1 of 252 00:16:35,680 --> 00:16:37,640 chapter 3. If then you were raised with 253 00:16:37,640 --> 00:16:40,800 Christ, word is since you were raised with Christ. 254 00:16:41,440 --> 00:16:43,520 Here's the first point of the two point sermon. 255 00:16:44,480 --> 00:16:47,360 Seek those things which are above. 256 00:16:49,240 --> 00:16:51,320 We have been raised together with Christ. 257 00:16:51,320 --> 00:16:56,160 We now have a new life. Change has come or has it in 2 258 00:16:56,160 --> 00:17:00,280 Corinthians 517 my first memory verses as a Christian was this. 259 00:17:00,480 --> 00:17:03,720 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ is a new creation. 260 00:17:04,520 --> 00:17:09,480 All things have passed away. Behold all things have become 261 00:17:09,920 --> 00:17:13,599 new. In Galatians chapter 2 verse 20, 262 00:17:14,359 --> 00:17:17,680 Paul said I have been crucified with Christ. 263 00:17:17,920 --> 00:17:22,079 Now was he physically no, but according to God and according 264 00:17:22,079 --> 00:17:24,400 to the gospel he has he identified. 265 00:17:24,680 --> 00:17:28,000 So was you and I no longer live Paul? 266 00:17:28,200 --> 00:17:30,880 Saul changed to Paul literally, didn't he? 267 00:17:31,920 --> 00:17:37,720 But Christ lives in me, the life I now live in the body I live 268 00:17:37,720 --> 00:17:40,800 how? By faith in the Son of God. 269 00:17:40,800 --> 00:17:44,520 Paul says I believe in the Son of God, one who love me. 270 00:17:44,600 --> 00:17:49,080 This is why I believe because Christ loves me and gave himself 271 00:17:49,080 --> 00:17:54,000 for me and This is why I live. I give my life to Christ because 272 00:17:54,160 --> 00:17:59,200 he gave his life to me. Three things there I live by 273 00:17:59,200 --> 00:18:02,960 faith in the Son of God. I believe who loved me. 274 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:07,960 Why I believe because he loves me and he gave himself for me. 275 00:18:07,960 --> 00:18:10,520 Now I give myself for him. Is that what you're to do? 276 00:18:11,040 --> 00:18:14,160 Bible says on Romans chapter 12 verse one. 277 00:18:14,360 --> 00:18:19,640 That's your task now, brothers, I beseech you that you present 278 00:18:19,640 --> 00:18:24,920 your bodies as what living what sacrifices. 279 00:18:25,280 --> 00:18:29,880 You know what that means? Not doing what you want to do. 280 00:18:32,360 --> 00:18:36,400 It's living, but now doing what He wants you to do. 281 00:18:38,760 --> 00:18:41,480 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a 282 00:18:41,480 --> 00:18:44,640 new person. The old life is gone. 283 00:18:44,680 --> 00:18:47,720 A new life has begun. It's the actually the picture of 284 00:18:47,720 --> 00:18:53,080 baptism, water baptism and water baptism is actually when we go 285 00:18:53,080 --> 00:18:55,200 there to the beach and we have, you know, the Baptist and we 286 00:18:55,200 --> 00:18:56,840 lower people in the water. You know what it is? 287 00:18:57,280 --> 00:19:00,280 It's a picture of a funeral. It's actually where, hey 288 00:19:00,280 --> 00:19:01,920 everybody, we're going to have a funeral service. 289 00:19:04,040 --> 00:19:08,000 That's the old you, dead and buried, gone when you walk out 290 00:19:08,000 --> 00:19:10,200 of the water. You walk out in the newness of 291 00:19:10,200 --> 00:19:13,040 life now living and guided by the Holy Spirit. 292 00:19:13,160 --> 00:19:19,760 Romans chapter 6. Paul teaches us this morning to 293 00:19:19,760 --> 00:19:25,880 do 2 things now because we have changed one. 294 00:19:26,160 --> 00:19:28,760 Seek those things which are above 2. 295 00:19:29,040 --> 00:19:34,280 Set your mind, use your brains on things above, not on things 296 00:19:34,280 --> 00:19:39,320 on the earth. Seek and set, but what are the 297 00:19:39,320 --> 00:19:45,440 things above. Fix your eyes not on what is 298 00:19:45,440 --> 00:19:49,080 seen, but on what is unseen for what is eternal. 299 00:19:51,840 --> 00:19:55,320 In other words, when you look at the world now, you see it 300 00:19:55,320 --> 00:19:57,000 differently through different eyes. 301 00:19:57,000 --> 00:20:01,000 Now that you're born again, you see the world now through new 302 00:20:01,000 --> 00:20:03,320 eyes. Before you just looked at it and 303 00:20:03,320 --> 00:20:07,400 it was all about you. Now you look out through the 304 00:20:07,400 --> 00:20:10,400 eyes that have been changed by God because they're a new person 305 00:20:10,600 --> 00:20:15,000 and it's not about you at all, is it Actually, there's nothing 306 00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:17,880 about you isn't because there's nothing good about you, is 307 00:20:17,880 --> 00:20:20,960 there? Romans Chapter 7 in me, Paul 308 00:20:20,960 --> 00:20:26,280 says dwells no good thing. So finally I'm starting to get 309 00:20:26,280 --> 00:20:29,320 it, get it right. The moment I stop thinking about 310 00:20:29,320 --> 00:20:35,360 myself and looking at my life, my my rights and my ways, it's 311 00:20:35,400 --> 00:20:39,240 clicked and now I'm starting to live with Christ. 312 00:20:39,720 --> 00:20:44,560 And that's the path to joy, happiness and peace. 313 00:20:47,280 --> 00:20:52,120 We are to live for heaven. Oh, you mean like like be Spacey 314 00:20:52,120 --> 00:20:53,440 and just talk about heaven all the time? 315 00:20:53,800 --> 00:20:58,320 You know, be no earthly good? No, that's a wrong saying. 316 00:20:58,320 --> 00:21:00,120 I mean that saying is actually correct. 317 00:21:01,360 --> 00:21:04,000 You will enjoy life. How is that? 318 00:21:05,160 --> 00:21:07,440 Because you're not thinking about yourself. 319 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:11,840 You know what makes you upset? When people pull out and you're 320 00:21:11,840 --> 00:21:14,680 in a hurry? When people are in your way. 321 00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:18,040 When you didn't get the job and you wanted it. 322 00:21:19,200 --> 00:21:20,920 When something goes against your way. 323 00:21:20,920 --> 00:21:24,200 Against what you what? I well, and I look, it's, I 324 00:21:24,200 --> 00:21:25,520 shouldn't, it should have happened to me. 325 00:21:25,520 --> 00:21:28,880 And well, why is he and why is she and, and, and we're upset 326 00:21:28,880 --> 00:21:30,960 about things because they're not going our way. 327 00:21:31,080 --> 00:21:32,680 How was your day? It was terrible. 328 00:21:32,720 --> 00:21:35,120 This happened to me and that happened to me and and then this 329 00:21:35,120 --> 00:21:37,560 happened to me. Nothing's going your way. 330 00:21:40,600 --> 00:21:44,000 That's why the world is unhappy, because the world lives for 331 00:21:44,000 --> 00:21:45,320 itself. You know what? 332 00:21:45,600 --> 00:21:51,080 Nothing's going to go their way, although the world is trying to 333 00:21:51,360 --> 00:21:53,880 help, isn't it? You know, kids at school now, 334 00:21:55,080 --> 00:21:59,440 everyone gets a medal. I come 37th. 335 00:22:02,960 --> 00:22:06,280 We don't do scores anymore because we don't want to, you 336 00:22:06,280 --> 00:22:08,920 know, upset the kids. And the kids know who won. 337 00:22:09,080 --> 00:22:12,160 They keep the score. They're not dull. 338 00:22:12,760 --> 00:22:18,400 They know what's going on. But the world will always be 339 00:22:18,400 --> 00:22:23,080 unhappy because the world wants it their way, my way. 340 00:22:24,480 --> 00:22:28,240 We are to seek Christ, seek him and to know these are the things 341 00:22:28,240 --> 00:22:29,720 that we're to focus on in heaven. 342 00:22:29,960 --> 00:22:32,920 We have to know, and Paul gives us the details of what we're to 343 00:22:32,920 --> 00:22:35,840 know that he is seated at the right hand of the Father. 344 00:22:35,960 --> 00:22:38,800 Why is that written there? Why does Paul say seek the 345 00:22:38,800 --> 00:22:40,680 things of God and then he talks about Jesus Christ? 346 00:22:40,920 --> 00:22:42,960 See him seated at the right hand of the Father? 347 00:22:43,160 --> 00:22:47,840 Because when did Jesus take his seat at the right hand of the 348 00:22:47,840 --> 00:22:51,320 Father? After he was crucified, 3 days 349 00:22:51,320 --> 00:22:55,200 later he rose from the dead, he ascended into heaven and he sat 350 00:22:55,200 --> 00:22:56,640 down at the right hand of the Father. 351 00:22:56,760 --> 00:22:59,400 He's our high priest. Go back to the Old Testament. 352 00:22:59,520 --> 00:23:02,080 In the Old Testament, when the priest worked in the Tabernacle, 353 00:23:02,280 --> 00:23:06,160 no seats in the Tabernacle. You know why their job was never 354 00:23:06,160 --> 00:23:09,200 finished? Sacrifice up the sacrifice next 355 00:23:09,200 --> 00:23:12,160 year, sacrifice next week. Set it up, do it again, do it 356 00:23:12,160 --> 00:23:14,360 again. Yom Kippur comes around, we do 357 00:23:14,360 --> 00:23:17,480 it again, we do it again. No seats that they're always 358 00:23:17,480 --> 00:23:20,080 walking around. But Jesus, our high priest, the 359 00:23:20,080 --> 00:23:23,360 book of Hebrews says sat down at the right hand of the Father. 360 00:23:23,360 --> 00:23:24,640 Why? It's done. 361 00:23:26,600 --> 00:23:32,680 Your salvation and way and reconciliation with God is 362 00:23:32,720 --> 00:23:35,160 complete. It's finished, it's done. 363 00:23:35,200 --> 00:23:38,880 You don't have to do anything. He did it all, so he sat down. 364 00:23:40,120 --> 00:23:50,240 Isn't that good? Jesus said on the cross it is 365 00:23:50,240 --> 00:23:52,600 finished, started back in the book of Genesis. 366 00:23:55,120 --> 00:23:59,160 Like the wise men from the East, they came seeking Christ. 367 00:23:59,520 --> 00:24:01,760 Are you seeking Christ in your thinking? 368 00:24:03,760 --> 00:24:09,200 You remember Saul, his eyes before he found Christ, were 369 00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:13,240 focused on getting these followers of the Rabbi Jesus, 370 00:24:13,480 --> 00:24:15,200 killing them and putting them in gaol. 371 00:24:16,560 --> 00:24:19,280 Then he meets the Lord on the road to Damascus. 372 00:24:19,280 --> 00:24:22,760 He's knocked off his donkey, falls on this blinding light, 373 00:24:22,760 --> 00:24:26,200 and for three days he can't see. He is blind. 374 00:24:27,040 --> 00:24:29,120 And the Lord sends this guy Ananias. 375 00:24:31,600 --> 00:24:35,960 Go and pray with him. And as Ananias prays for him in 376 00:24:35,960 --> 00:24:41,600 Acts Chapter 9, verse 17 to 18, it tells us and scales, like 377 00:24:41,600 --> 00:24:45,520 scales fell off Paul's eyes, who is now Paul. 378 00:24:45,920 --> 00:24:51,240 And now he could see the world differently. 379 00:24:51,800 --> 00:24:55,440 It's like me. I was never into flowers. 380 00:24:55,440 --> 00:24:57,760 I mean, if you said you're into flowers at Beaky school where I 381 00:24:57,760 --> 00:25:00,720 went, you got a flogging. Hi guys, I'm into flowers. 382 00:25:02,840 --> 00:25:05,520 Not in the flowers now, not not in the flowers anymore. 383 00:25:07,840 --> 00:25:12,320 And you know, Helen plants roses at the front and I go out and I 384 00:25:12,320 --> 00:25:18,920 see these roses and I'm mesmerised by their colour and 385 00:25:18,920 --> 00:25:24,440 the intricacy of a rose. It's God's design. 386 00:25:25,280 --> 00:25:29,880 It's God's artwork. I see people struggling. 387 00:25:30,320 --> 00:25:35,840 There's a footballer that is a recent footballer of this week. 388 00:25:35,920 --> 00:25:37,280 I wrote in the bulletin about it. 389 00:25:38,160 --> 00:25:41,200 He's the second of a twin. He's the twin brother. 390 00:25:41,760 --> 00:25:45,480 Three months ago his brother committed suicide. 391 00:25:45,480 --> 00:25:48,000 Now he's committed suicide in the one family. 392 00:25:48,600 --> 00:25:54,120 Heartbreaking and I heard the coach of the Collingwood 393 00:25:54,120 --> 00:25:58,800 Football Club say this and and I and he said, you know, there's 394 00:25:58,800 --> 00:26:05,000 no book written on this stuff. Actually there is. 395 00:26:07,520 --> 00:26:08,920 This book is for the heartbroken. 396 00:26:11,320 --> 00:26:15,760 This book contains the saviour for someone who's thinking of 397 00:26:15,760 --> 00:26:18,760 taking their life. This book holds the message of 398 00:26:18,760 --> 00:26:22,760 life. Jesus has come to give us life. 399 00:26:22,760 --> 00:26:27,040 He says I am the way, the truth and the life and the life that I 400 00:26:27,040 --> 00:26:28,560 give you. How long is it? 401 00:26:28,960 --> 00:26:32,920 It's eternal. It's forever and church. 402 00:26:32,920 --> 00:26:35,280 You and I have a task. We're living in dark days. 403 00:26:35,280 --> 00:26:38,160 People around you, some of you here today and I rode in the 404 00:26:38,160 --> 00:26:41,080 bulletin have been affected by suicide and families. 405 00:26:42,240 --> 00:26:44,600 You and I have a salt. How salty are you? 406 00:26:45,360 --> 00:26:46,880 And I don't mean you're a bitter person. 407 00:26:47,280 --> 00:26:51,960 I mean, are you out there? How, how how well lit are you? 408 00:26:52,080 --> 00:26:53,680 What's the light that's emitting? 409 00:26:53,880 --> 00:26:56,280 Is it something that you when when you come along, people go, 410 00:26:56,760 --> 00:26:58,520 Oh yes. Would you pray? 411 00:26:58,680 --> 00:27:01,800 I don't know how to pray. Are you light? 412 00:27:01,800 --> 00:27:05,160 Are you salt? Because our world is in need of 413 00:27:05,160 --> 00:27:06,560 you. All of you sitting here today, 414 00:27:06,720 --> 00:27:09,800 when you go out, guess what? You're desperately in need. 415 00:27:11,320 --> 00:27:13,800 There's a mission out there, mission field. 416 00:27:14,240 --> 00:27:17,880 There are people who are thinking of ending their lives 417 00:27:18,840 --> 00:27:25,400 who don't know where to turn to. The pain is so great and the 418 00:27:25,400 --> 00:27:30,160 devil is so wicked and you and I have the answer. 419 00:27:31,880 --> 00:27:38,240 The answer is Jesus Christ. The answer is Jesus Christ. 420 00:27:39,520 --> 00:27:43,720 You see, we are new people enjoying a hidden life with 421 00:27:43,720 --> 00:27:46,280 Christ. Here's our life now. 422 00:27:46,280 --> 00:27:52,920 The reason I live is for Christ. Paul is not saying think about 423 00:27:52,920 --> 00:27:55,520 heaven all day. So you know how to live when you 424 00:27:55,520 --> 00:27:59,320 get there. No, rather He is telling us take 425 00:27:59,320 --> 00:28:05,040 a good look at heaven's perspective on every issue, and 426 00:28:05,040 --> 00:28:11,160 so you will know how to live on earth to Corinthians 417 for our 427 00:28:11,160 --> 00:28:15,360 light afflictions, which is but for a moment is working for us a 428 00:28:15,360 --> 00:28:18,360 far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. 429 00:28:18,520 --> 00:28:23,320 And I've learnt this in my own life through difficult times. 430 00:28:24,360 --> 00:28:26,360 King David was the one who taught me. 431 00:28:27,520 --> 00:28:29,400 This was the strength of King David. 432 00:28:29,600 --> 00:28:33,040 His mind was set on God Almighty, always in the heavens. 433 00:28:33,520 --> 00:28:37,680 That's why he wrote the Psalms. He was a man who had a mind 434 00:28:37,680 --> 00:28:41,720 after and a heart after God. And I look at David. 435 00:28:41,720 --> 00:28:44,560 I call it the David perspective. Paul calls it the heaven 436 00:28:44,560 --> 00:28:47,160 perspective. That means your problem, your 437 00:28:47,160 --> 00:28:50,480 situation. Take a step back and compare it 438 00:28:50,960 --> 00:28:53,520 to heaven. Get the heavenly view because 439 00:28:53,520 --> 00:28:56,440 your view when you're down in the in the, in the gulleys and 440 00:28:56,440 --> 00:28:59,200 the gutters looking at it, it can look just nothing but 441 00:28:59,200 --> 00:29:01,520 terrible. But when you go back and get 442 00:29:01,520 --> 00:29:05,680 God's view on the situation, oh man, it's a far different view. 443 00:29:08,640 --> 00:29:12,040 You see, Paul was not saying think of the physical things of 444 00:29:12,040 --> 00:29:13,040 heaven. Oh, when I get there, I want to 445 00:29:13,040 --> 00:29:15,000 see what the roads are like and you know, you know what the 446 00:29:15,000 --> 00:29:20,040 gates are like and you know, no, but rather the seeking has to do 447 00:29:20,040 --> 00:29:23,320 with Christ's sovereignty. Because as I get to heavenly 448 00:29:23,320 --> 00:29:27,560 view, I see even though I'm in intensive care unit here and 449 00:29:27,560 --> 00:29:30,840 there's things are desperate even now I've got these things 450 00:29:30,840 --> 00:29:34,000 going on in my life. Here's what I see in heaven. 451 00:29:34,800 --> 00:29:38,120 Jesus Christ is on the is still on the throne. 452 00:29:39,120 --> 00:29:46,080 He's in charge, He's in control. It changes me in my situation. 453 00:29:48,680 --> 00:29:54,800 His glory fills the universe and He fills it with His power. 454 00:29:55,080 --> 00:30:00,440 He is the almighty God. He's in charge, and He's in 455 00:30:00,440 --> 00:30:04,400 charge all the time. The things in heaven, His 456 00:30:04,400 --> 00:30:08,040 character, His presence, His heavenly joy. 457 00:30:08,480 --> 00:30:12,280 So we've had seek. First point now set. 458 00:30:13,520 --> 00:30:17,360 Set as a verb in the present tense, telling us that this is a 459 00:30:17,360 --> 00:30:22,600 continuous, ongoing effort and action on our behalf to seek and 460 00:30:22,600 --> 00:30:25,000 keep on seeking. How do we do this? 461 00:30:27,920 --> 00:30:31,600 By prayer. We got to go back to prayer and 462 00:30:31,600 --> 00:30:33,760 I'm going to tell you, this is our weakness. 463 00:30:34,040 --> 00:30:38,360 This is this church's weakness. This is our individual life's 464 00:30:38,360 --> 00:30:40,800 weakness. Because many of you I know don't 465 00:30:40,800 --> 00:30:42,720 pray. You don't pray because you don't 466 00:30:42,720 --> 00:30:46,120 believe it, you don't think it works, you don't have time for 467 00:30:46,840 --> 00:30:48,520 it. And the devil just goes awesome. 468 00:30:49,320 --> 00:30:53,480 Your greatest weapon, you leave in the shed, The greatest power 469 00:30:53,480 --> 00:30:57,360 that you have, you don't use it. And I can just smash you in the 470 00:30:57,360 --> 00:30:59,840 marriage, smash you in your relationships with your kids, 471 00:31:00,000 --> 00:31:01,920 smash you with all your problems because you're not, you're not. 472 00:31:02,000 --> 00:31:04,520 You're not a praying person. God doesn't even get involved. 473 00:31:04,520 --> 00:31:07,000 You don't ask him. You have not because you ask 474 00:31:07,160 --> 00:31:12,920 not, James says, but by prayer. Christ says we ask, we seek, and 475 00:31:12,920 --> 00:31:18,680 we knock for the things above. Matthew 77, Jesus said this. 476 00:31:19,200 --> 00:31:23,360 Keep on asking and you'll receive what you ask for. 477 00:31:23,960 --> 00:31:27,560 Keep on seeking and you will find what you're looking for. 478 00:31:27,880 --> 00:31:31,000 Keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you. 479 00:31:31,960 --> 00:31:34,480 Why? Because Christ will guide your 480 00:31:34,480 --> 00:31:39,960 life this way as you set your mind on God. 481 00:31:39,960 --> 00:31:43,160 What am I to do? Help me, guide me and you do it 482 00:31:43,160 --> 00:31:48,280 continuously. Set your mind on things above, 483 00:31:48,480 --> 00:31:51,760 not on things on the earth. But sadly we have become a 484 00:31:51,760 --> 00:31:56,320 people today whose thinking is totally consumed by our things 485 00:31:56,320 --> 00:32:03,120 in life, things to be consumed on us and our own personal 486 00:32:03,120 --> 00:32:06,720 selfishness. Many Australians today think 487 00:32:06,720 --> 00:32:09,760 that their things are their life. 488 00:32:10,000 --> 00:32:10,880 Well, I'm happy. Why? 489 00:32:10,880 --> 00:32:16,040 I've got my house, I've got this, I've got my car, I've got 490 00:32:16,040 --> 00:32:17,600 this. Oh, I'm set. 491 00:32:20,080 --> 00:32:22,640 No, set your mind of the things above. 492 00:32:24,280 --> 00:32:31,960 We spend money now not for need. We send them. 493 00:32:32,080 --> 00:32:35,200 Spend money for identity. You have a pair of shoes? 494 00:32:35,280 --> 00:32:38,520 Yeah, but these ones, these new ones, I got a pair of shoes. 495 00:32:38,840 --> 00:32:41,080 But these new ones, you got 20 pairs of shoes. 496 00:32:41,320 --> 00:32:45,440 Yeah, but these new ones, that's what everyone's wearing. 497 00:32:46,720 --> 00:32:50,160 It's my identity. Check out my new shoes. 498 00:32:53,320 --> 00:32:56,920 And you and I, we we value this in other people's lives. 499 00:32:57,080 --> 00:32:59,240 Saw Bill the other day At where? How's Bill going? 500 00:32:59,680 --> 00:33:02,480 Bill's going really good. Did we say Bill's happy in 501 00:33:02,480 --> 00:33:04,720 marriage, he's going to church and his kids love the Lord? 502 00:33:04,920 --> 00:33:09,480 No, we got Bill was driving this car and he was wearing one of 503 00:33:09,480 --> 00:33:12,440 those and he's watch. It was one of those watches. 504 00:33:13,200 --> 00:33:16,760 Bill's doing really good. We do it. 505 00:33:20,840 --> 00:33:23,320 Matthew 619. Jesus said. 506 00:33:24,560 --> 00:33:29,280 Jesus said these words, Don't store up treasures here on earth 507 00:33:31,120 --> 00:33:35,000 when moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves 508 00:33:35,000 --> 00:33:38,360 break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven 509 00:33:38,360 --> 00:33:42,000 where moths and rust cannot destroy and thieves do not break 510 00:33:42,000 --> 00:33:45,200 in and steal. Here's them here, and here's 511 00:33:45,200 --> 00:33:51,720 them now. Wherever your treasure is, there 512 00:33:51,720 --> 00:33:53,800 the desires of your heart will also be. 513 00:33:54,640 --> 00:33:56,600 This is why people can be decimated. 514 00:33:56,880 --> 00:33:58,280 Well, look what happened to my house. 515 00:33:58,280 --> 00:34:01,440 It burnt down. Look what happened to my car. 516 00:34:01,440 --> 00:34:05,120 It's wiped out. Oh, my job. 517 00:34:05,400 --> 00:34:08,960 They've laid us all off, decimated. 518 00:34:11,880 --> 00:34:15,480 Paul is teaching us how to think as Christians, how to live as 519 00:34:15,480 --> 00:34:19,080 believers, how to live as disciples of Christ, to not set 520 00:34:19,080 --> 00:34:23,639 our minds on earthly things, not just material possessions, not 521 00:34:23,639 --> 00:34:27,040 all, but also the immaterial things of the world, like what 522 00:34:28,159 --> 00:34:36,080 earthly honours, position, advancement, fame. 523 00:34:37,480 --> 00:34:42,560 Paul is not saying we hive off into some monk like existence, 524 00:34:42,560 --> 00:34:46,280 live like the Amish in a commune somewhere in the Bush. 525 00:34:46,679 --> 00:34:49,840 Otherwise there would be no Christian doctors, Christian 526 00:34:49,840 --> 00:34:53,560 lawyers or Christian nurses and teachers, no excellence. 527 00:34:54,080 --> 00:34:57,200 Now the difference is this. The Christian no longer sees 528 00:34:57,200 --> 00:35:01,480 these things as if they are all that matter. 529 00:35:02,600 --> 00:35:05,840 I've achieved. You know what happens often when 530 00:35:05,840 --> 00:35:10,000 you get to achieve? There's nothing after that. 531 00:35:10,240 --> 00:35:17,000 How many elite athletes, people, wealthy, get to achieve the 532 00:35:17,000 --> 00:35:19,200 pinnacle? And you know what? 533 00:35:22,600 --> 00:35:26,160 It hasn't satisfied yet. They've worked all their life 534 00:35:26,160 --> 00:35:32,440 together. Christine Onassis 2 weeks prior 535 00:35:32,440 --> 00:35:37,840 to her committing suicide. Onassis, He was the most wealthy 536 00:35:38,160 --> 00:35:41,200 shipping magnate in the world. She said this. 537 00:35:41,520 --> 00:35:45,800 If you think wealth and fame brings happiness, look at my 538 00:35:45,800 --> 00:35:56,240 life. Our mind is set to be dominated 539 00:35:56,240 --> 00:35:59,080 by the things above. Proverbs 35. 540 00:35:59,080 --> 00:36:00,800 Trust in the Lord with all your heart. 541 00:36:00,800 --> 00:36:03,880 Lean not on your own understanding in all your ways. 542 00:36:03,880 --> 00:36:07,440 Acknowledging. Acknowledge Him and He shall 543 00:36:07,440 --> 00:36:12,200 direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes. 544 00:36:12,640 --> 00:36:16,120 Fear the Lord and depart from evil. 545 00:36:16,600 --> 00:36:21,320 It will be health to your flesh. Result strength to your bones. 546 00:36:22,200 --> 00:36:24,720 Verse 9. Honour the Lord with your 547 00:36:24,720 --> 00:36:28,240 possessions and with the first fruits of your increase. 548 00:36:28,600 --> 00:36:32,000 So your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will 549 00:36:32,000 --> 00:36:36,520 overflow with new wine. So you're planning to move 550 00:36:36,520 --> 00:36:40,440 house. Question is, how will this 551 00:36:40,480 --> 00:36:42,920 affect your family's worship life? 552 00:36:43,280 --> 00:36:45,000 Oh yeah, but we've always wanted to live here. 553 00:36:45,480 --> 00:36:48,600 Oh OK. Is that the before Christ? 554 00:36:49,720 --> 00:36:51,920 And is that still the after Christ person? 555 00:36:52,560 --> 00:36:54,200 Where does Christ want you to live now? 556 00:36:55,360 --> 00:37:00,040 See, it changes. You're changing employment. 557 00:37:00,040 --> 00:37:02,480 Oh, I've got this new job. I'm looking to get this new job. 558 00:37:02,640 --> 00:37:08,200 What impact will that new job have on your work, your walk 559 00:37:08,200 --> 00:37:10,720 with the Lord, and you serve in Christ? 560 00:37:11,000 --> 00:37:12,800 Well, I won't be able to serve Him like I did before. 561 00:37:13,640 --> 00:37:17,520 Interesting. So is that what you want or is 562 00:37:17,520 --> 00:37:22,960 this what Christ wants? Are you gifted? 563 00:37:23,040 --> 00:37:26,200 Ah man, you're talented. Singing, playing music or 564 00:37:26,280 --> 00:37:29,920 something else. How are you using God's gift for 565 00:37:29,920 --> 00:37:36,440 His glory? Eric Little born January 1619 O2 566 00:37:37,880 --> 00:37:44,000 died February 21, 1945 in China. Born in China Died in China A 567 00:37:44,000 --> 00:37:46,440 British Scottish runner who won a gold medal. 568 00:37:46,440 --> 00:37:50,480 Chariots of Fire was the movie made about him in the 400 metres 569 00:37:50,480 --> 00:37:54,200 and the bronze and the 200 metres in the 1924 Olympic Games 570 00:37:54,400 --> 00:37:58,160 in Paris. Represented Scotland as a rugby 571 00:37:58,160 --> 00:38:01,080 winger. A year after the Olympic Games, 572 00:38:01,080 --> 00:38:04,520 Little returned to China to do missionary work with his father. 573 00:38:04,880 --> 00:38:08,200 He died of a brain tumour while interred in a Japanese camp 574 00:38:08,200 --> 00:38:13,480 during World War Two, he said. When I run, I please the Lord. 575 00:38:13,560 --> 00:38:16,120 That's why he ran. He didn't run for Scotland. 576 00:38:16,120 --> 00:38:19,760 He didn't run for Eric Little. He ran to please the Lord. 577 00:38:20,200 --> 00:38:23,920 It's different. His last words recorded before 578 00:38:23,920 --> 00:38:26,600 he died. Complete surrender. 579 00:38:27,880 --> 00:38:31,320 Complete surrender. You're planning a marriage. 580 00:38:31,320 --> 00:38:32,640 Oh, good. Nice. 581 00:38:33,320 --> 00:38:38,360 Is this God's design? Will this person enhance your 582 00:38:38,360 --> 00:38:41,640 relationship with God? Will they have the same passion 583 00:38:41,840 --> 00:38:48,400 to serve Christ as you have? Pastor Tom Whitaker, who I think 584 00:38:48,400 --> 00:38:51,400 is best pastor I've ever known, served under. 585 00:38:52,440 --> 00:38:54,840 He had a couple coming to his church and they're planning to 586 00:38:54,840 --> 00:38:57,560 get married, both Christians, and said, I don't think you 587 00:38:57,560 --> 00:38:58,680 should go ahead with your marriage. 588 00:38:59,000 --> 00:39:02,360 Oh, why is that? Because 1 was just robust and 589 00:39:03,520 --> 00:39:07,400 full on for the Lord, and the other was just, yeah, well, you 590 00:39:07,400 --> 00:39:12,280 know, see God then and I'll be. It wasn't going to work. 591 00:39:13,640 --> 00:39:17,400 Both believers, you see, it's important. 592 00:39:17,720 --> 00:39:20,160 Paul's language here in this command is precise. 593 00:39:20,360 --> 00:39:23,480 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 594 00:39:23,920 --> 00:39:28,800 Keep your mind set in that way. It also has the idea of 595 00:39:28,800 --> 00:39:32,560 concentration. In these two vital verses we see 596 00:39:32,560 --> 00:39:35,520 the the great divide in the Christian life. 597 00:39:35,520 --> 00:39:38,720 What is that for? What we set our minds on 598 00:39:38,880 --> 00:39:42,560 determines our seeking, and this is the direction of our 599 00:39:42,560 --> 00:39:44,880 Christian life. What you set your mind on 600 00:39:45,080 --> 00:39:46,960 determines the direction of your life. 601 00:39:47,880 --> 00:39:50,920 Question is, what do you think about when you have nothing else 602 00:39:50,920 --> 00:39:52,520 to do? You know, when you're just by 603 00:39:52,520 --> 00:39:55,240 yourself, what do you think about? 604 00:39:55,240 --> 00:39:59,000 What comes to your mind? Yes, we might Daydream. 605 00:39:59,400 --> 00:40:01,480 You might simply doze off or drift off. 606 00:40:02,000 --> 00:40:05,680 Pressure from work consumes our thinking at times. 607 00:40:06,200 --> 00:40:10,160 But all these aside, does your mind regularly go up to Christ 608 00:40:10,600 --> 00:40:15,440 and things above? If it doesn't, we're in trouble. 609 00:40:16,840 --> 00:40:22,520 The Bible says Luke 1234 For where your treasure is, there 610 00:40:22,520 --> 00:40:27,120 your heart will be also. What will the divine postmortem 611 00:40:27,120 --> 00:40:28,520 mean? I don't know if you you know 612 00:40:28,520 --> 00:40:31,280 what a postmortem is. I had to go there regularly with 613 00:40:31,280 --> 00:40:33,400 police. Postmortem is they get the body 614 00:40:33,400 --> 00:40:35,480 laid it out and every cause of death. 615 00:40:35,600 --> 00:40:38,880 Unless the doctor signs off, this is the cause of death for 616 00:40:38,880 --> 00:40:42,800 this situation and they say he died or she died because of 617 00:40:42,800 --> 00:40:47,440 this, then everyone has to have a postmortem and they operate on 618 00:40:47,440 --> 00:40:50,600 the person because they want to identify the cause of death. 619 00:40:50,600 --> 00:40:53,680 What actually causes? Was it the heart, the lungs, the 620 00:40:53,680 --> 00:40:57,040 liver or, or, or was there some suspicious thing that's been 621 00:40:57,040 --> 00:40:59,680 covered up? You know, even when they cut 622 00:40:59,680 --> 00:41:03,680 someone down or come across the homicide, sorry a suicide, they 623 00:41:03,680 --> 00:41:06,440 will still do a postmortem. When there's a car crash, 624 00:41:06,600 --> 00:41:08,240 they'll do a postmortem. Why? 625 00:41:08,440 --> 00:41:11,480 Because when I did the person die before they hit the tree 626 00:41:11,720 --> 00:41:14,400 was, was something happened? And also out of the postmortem, 627 00:41:14,840 --> 00:41:19,280 the medical staff get information on the family's DNA. 628 00:41:19,480 --> 00:41:22,600 Did you know that in your family, there's this, this, this 629 00:41:22,600 --> 00:41:25,360 is, this is what we found and it's going to be through your 630 00:41:25,360 --> 00:41:27,040 family. You need to investigate this. 631 00:41:27,240 --> 00:41:30,160 This is what happens with the DNA and a post mortem. 632 00:41:30,560 --> 00:41:32,320 But what about a divine post mortem? 633 00:41:33,840 --> 00:41:37,720 What will reveal when God looks at your life after your death? 634 00:41:38,920 --> 00:41:41,440 The time that you've lived here on the planet, the time that 635 00:41:41,440 --> 00:41:43,600 he's given you to live here on Earth? 636 00:41:45,920 --> 00:41:48,600 We open up and there will be, ah, there's our career. 637 00:41:49,560 --> 00:41:52,640 That was it, Our home in bricks and mortar. 638 00:41:52,640 --> 00:41:55,600 Oh, he loved his house. Surfing, man. 639 00:41:55,600 --> 00:41:57,920 And all I find is just surf, Surf stuff everywhere. 640 00:41:59,320 --> 00:42:01,760 Well, the latest dress and clothing fashions. 641 00:42:01,760 --> 00:42:05,640 Or will he find Christ embedded in US? 642 00:42:06,960 --> 00:42:09,400 Can you help me here? I don't want my mind, my 643 00:42:09,400 --> 00:42:12,360 thinking to be on worthless treasures of the earth. 644 00:42:12,800 --> 00:42:16,600 How do I make sure my seeking and my thinking are godly then? 645 00:42:17,320 --> 00:42:19,280 And what Paul is teaching us, how do I do that? 646 00:42:20,320 --> 00:42:22,680 The right mindset, how does it begin? 647 00:42:22,840 --> 00:42:25,920 It begins with here. It is prayer. 648 00:42:30,080 --> 00:42:35,840 Jesus said if you abide in me and my words abide in you, you 649 00:42:35,840 --> 00:42:39,760 will ask. That's praying what you desire 650 00:42:39,800 --> 00:42:44,080 and it shall be done for you. You have not because you have 651 00:42:44,080 --> 00:42:47,480 not asked for it. And what you've been asking for 652 00:42:47,480 --> 00:42:49,240 has been to consume upon yourself. 653 00:42:49,480 --> 00:42:51,880 It's not what I want you to ask me for. 654 00:42:53,480 --> 00:42:57,440 Lord set my mind on things above King Solomon. 655 00:42:57,440 --> 00:42:59,520 You know King Solomon comes to the throne. 656 00:42:59,960 --> 00:43:04,840 David's son. God has told David, Solomon is 657 00:43:04,840 --> 00:43:06,600 the man to take over from you, David. 658 00:43:07,400 --> 00:43:10,480 And on the night God appeared to Solomon said to him, Ask what 659 00:43:10,480 --> 00:43:13,800 I'll give to you. Solomon said to God, You have 660 00:43:13,800 --> 00:43:15,920 shown great mercy to my father David. 661 00:43:16,200 --> 00:43:20,960 It made me king in his place. Now give me wisdom and knowledge 662 00:43:20,960 --> 00:43:23,600 that I may go out and come in before this people. 663 00:43:23,600 --> 00:43:26,360 For who can judge this great people of yours? 664 00:43:27,240 --> 00:43:30,640 Then God said to Solomon, because this was in your heart, 665 00:43:31,160 --> 00:43:35,400 and you've not asked riches or wealth or honour, or the life of 666 00:43:35,400 --> 00:43:39,680 your enemies or long life, but I've asked for wisdom and 667 00:43:39,680 --> 00:43:43,480 knowledge for yourself, that you may judge my people over whom I 668 00:43:43,480 --> 00:43:47,120 have made you king. Wisdom and knowledge I give to 669 00:43:47,120 --> 00:43:52,560 you, and I'll give you riches and wealth and honour, such as 670 00:43:52,760 --> 00:43:57,680 of the kings have no other king has had ever before you, or will 671 00:43:57,680 --> 00:44:00,080 have after you. Interesting. 672 00:44:01,600 --> 00:44:05,960 This is a deliberate action. What you set your mind on is a 673 00:44:05,960 --> 00:44:10,560 deliberate action by you. Our mindset on the things above 674 00:44:10,560 --> 00:44:13,440 is a deliberate act of our will. It's a choice. 675 00:44:13,840 --> 00:44:17,280 It's you choosing. We even say it to our families 676 00:44:17,280 --> 00:44:17,960 and friends. Don't you? 677 00:44:18,280 --> 00:44:24,120 I got my mindset on what? I got my mindset on this. 678 00:44:26,520 --> 00:44:28,520 Don't we set our minds on that special holiday? 679 00:44:29,480 --> 00:44:32,360 Don't we set our minds on buying that car, that pair of shoes? 680 00:44:33,200 --> 00:44:36,120 Men, we set our minds on that camping and fishing trip, surf 681 00:44:36,120 --> 00:44:38,320 trip. We set our minds on that big 682 00:44:38,320 --> 00:44:39,800 special project around the house. 683 00:44:39,800 --> 00:44:41,320 Man, I'm going to do this, finish it off. 684 00:44:41,960 --> 00:44:44,760 We can set our minds on things above. 685 00:44:44,880 --> 00:44:50,560 It's a choice. But this requires something else 686 00:44:51,960 --> 00:44:54,280 to achieve this. And that means you need to have 687 00:44:54,280 --> 00:44:58,200 a loose grip, a loose hold on the things below. 688 00:44:58,800 --> 00:45:02,240 That is your positions. A rich young ruler came to 689 00:45:02,320 --> 00:45:03,480 Jesus. You know the story. 690 00:45:04,680 --> 00:45:07,120 He said, I've done this, I've done this, and I want to follow. 691 00:45:07,120 --> 00:45:09,320 You could teach you what? What do I need to do to inherit 692 00:45:09,320 --> 00:45:12,040 eternal life? He's Jesus said, you know, don't 693 00:45:12,040 --> 00:45:12,760 do this. Don't do that. 694 00:45:13,120 --> 00:45:14,560 Yeah, I've done all that, man. Yeah. 695 00:45:15,680 --> 00:45:18,200 And Jesus said you still lack one thing. 696 00:45:19,360 --> 00:45:22,760 Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor and 697 00:45:22,760 --> 00:45:26,720 you'll have treasure in heaven. Come follow me. 698 00:45:28,400 --> 00:45:32,160 When the young man heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he 699 00:45:32,160 --> 00:45:36,800 was very rich. When Jesus saw that, he became 700 00:45:36,800 --> 00:45:41,320 very sorrowful. Jesus said how hard it is for 701 00:45:41,320 --> 00:45:45,000 those who have riches to enter the Kingdom of God. 702 00:45:45,640 --> 00:45:48,840 For it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle 703 00:45:49,240 --> 00:45:51,760 than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. 704 00:45:52,520 --> 00:45:56,400 You see the truth of the story, Morgan, man, that poor young 705 00:45:56,400 --> 00:46:01,320 man, silly young man, is that each one of us? 706 00:46:01,600 --> 00:46:04,440 Is that rich young rule. How's that? 707 00:46:06,360 --> 00:46:09,240 You know where Australia is ranked in the world wealth. 708 00:46:09,480 --> 00:46:13,560 At the moment we're ranked second in the world when it 709 00:46:13,560 --> 00:46:19,160 comes to median wealth per adult second, well ahead of the likes 710 00:46:19,160 --> 00:46:21,040 of Switzerland, the UK and the US. 711 00:46:21,520 --> 00:46:25,840 On an average wealth per adult basis, Australia ranks 5th. 712 00:46:25,840 --> 00:46:29,360 So we're the 5th wealthiest people in the world, the second 713 00:46:29,360 --> 00:46:32,720 wealthiest people in the world. You see, because of our 714 00:46:32,720 --> 00:46:37,320 possessions, it is difficult to set our minds on things above. 715 00:46:39,000 --> 00:46:43,960 You can hold on to things two ways with a clenched fist, like 716 00:46:43,960 --> 00:46:47,080 that selfish top child with a toy clutched in their hand, 717 00:46:47,080 --> 00:46:48,840 shouting in defiance to anyone else. 718 00:46:48,960 --> 00:46:52,360 It's mine, it's mine, it's mine even though they didn't want it. 719 00:46:54,520 --> 00:46:58,560 Or we can have an open hand. A good habit to get into is to 720 00:46:58,560 --> 00:47:01,600 learn to give something away regularly that you value. 721 00:47:01,720 --> 00:47:04,920 Was the last time you gave something away that you value to 722 00:47:04,920 --> 00:47:08,800 somebody? Or are you always on the take? 723 00:47:10,400 --> 00:47:15,040 Lastly, if you remember and memorise God's word, His 724 00:47:15,040 --> 00:47:20,000 Scripture that has to do with heavenly mindset, just like 725 00:47:20,000 --> 00:47:24,120 we've studied here this morning. Christ's blessing will be your 726 00:47:24,120 --> 00:47:28,960 desire and His glory. You're living and no one will be 727 00:47:29,000 --> 00:47:34,240 able to rob you of it. You'll be filled with joy 728 00:47:34,280 --> 00:47:38,320 unspeakable. Let us this morning right now 729 00:47:38,960 --> 00:47:44,160 covenant to fix our minds on things above the whole God's 730 00:47:44,160 --> 00:47:48,480 word close to our heart and not fix our thoughts on the material 731 00:47:48,480 --> 00:47:50,800 and the immaterial things of the world. 732 00:47:52,120 --> 00:47:54,640 When they lay you in the casket, and I've seen a lot of people in 733 00:47:54,640 --> 00:48:01,160 caskets. You notice there's nothing else 734 00:48:01,160 --> 00:48:08,440 in the casket but them nothing else in the casket with them And 735 00:48:08,440 --> 00:48:12,960 their hands are what empty. You know, they sew up the 736 00:48:12,960 --> 00:48:18,600 pockets on on suits they used to put on the old to bury people 737 00:48:19,200 --> 00:48:21,400 because I'm not going to go where's where's my hanky? 738 00:48:21,400 --> 00:48:27,960 Where's my loose change? Job said. 739 00:48:30,000 --> 00:48:32,880 I came out of naked. I came out of my mother's womb 740 00:48:33,840 --> 00:48:35,200 and naked. Shall I return? 741 00:48:36,800 --> 00:48:40,400 The Lord gave and the Lord is taken away. 742 00:48:42,880 --> 00:48:48,240 Blessed be the name of the Lord. You and I have a job to do. 743 00:48:49,240 --> 00:48:52,480 We have a world that's waiting for light and for salt. 744 00:48:53,760 --> 00:48:56,560 We have a world that knows not of Jesus Christ. 745 00:48:56,800 --> 00:49:02,600 And you have the answer. Set your mind on the things 746 00:49:02,600 --> 00:49:04,800 above. Seek the things above. 747 00:49:05,840 --> 00:49:07,040 The choice is yours.