INTRODUCTION
• SLIDE #1
• I bet if I interviewed each of you here today, you would all have something you would like to change about yourself.
• I would like to lose 20-40 pounds myself.
• Do you realize that in order for you to be able to change something about yourself, you have to actually change some things in your life!
• For instance, if I want to lose weight, I have to change my eating habits, my exercise habits, along with my attitudes concerning food.
• Without changing these areas of my life, the weight will not come off. There is really no miracle cure that will cause me to change my weight without my changing some things in my life.
• Let us consider our life with Christ for a moment.
• How many of us are totally happy with where we are in our relationship with Jesus?
• I bet very few to none of us are.
• When we give our lives to Christ, we hear about this new life we are supposed to have in Him.
• For some of us, we sit back and wait for it to happen; only to find that it does not seem to be happening for us.
• SLIDE #2
• If we are going to have the life in Christ we want and the life He wants us to have, it is time for a change.
• Today we are going to look at three areas that will need to change in order for us to have the healthy relationship with Jesus we are meant to have.
• Let us turn to Colossians 3:5-10 together this morning.
• SLIDES 3-4-5
• READ Colossians 3:5-10
• SLIDE #6
SERMON
I. A NEW LIFE MUST HAVE A CHANGE OF DIRECTION. (5-7)
• In verses five and seven, we are given two lists of things we need to make sure we rid ourselves of.
• When you look at these lists, you may think you are immune from the items listed. I think as we examine what is at the root of these lists you will see they do apply to all of us here today.
• SLIDE #7
1. We are to allow ourselves to be dead to the old life.
• In verse five we are told we are to consider the members of our earthly body as dead to the things listed for us.
• We are to literally “put to death” these things. To consider dead means we are to hold these items in check, to restrain them. Left unrestrained, they will lead us in the wrong direction.
• If you casually look at verse three, we are told we have died with Christ, but here we are told consider our members of our earthly body as dead.
• We have died with Christ, BUT we still live in a fallen world and only we through the power of the Holy Spirit can be the one the keeps oneself in check.
• Remember, someone who is dead is no longer aroused by the world around them.
• This verse reminds us that WE have a part to play in our walk with God.
• WE need a change of direction!
• SLIDE #8
2. We need to change or direction from self-gratification to pleasing God.
• In verse five we are given a list of things that we are to consider ourselves dead to.
• Immorality deals predominantly with sexual sin. The word is the same word we get “pornography” from.
• SLIDE #9
• 1 Thessalonians 4:3 (GWT) 3It is God’s will that you keep away from sexual sin as a mark of your devotion to him.
• This notorious list includes impurity, passion, evil desire and greed.
• All of these deal with getting what we want.
• This list is actually in reverse order. The root of all these issues is greed.
• Greed is the overmastering desire for what belongs to another; it includes the breaking of the laws of right and justice in order to obtain them for oneself.
• It is the relentless urge to get more.
• This is really the root of the rest.
• We must move in a direction of pleasing God rather than ourselves.
• God is not against sex, but sex outside of marriage is wrong, no exceptions.
• As long as we live in a fallen world, we will struggle with these issues.
• The last part of verse five tells us that these things amount to idolatry.
• When we reject the true God of the Bible, we make up one of our own imagination, we make OUR desires, appetites, and lusts our god by the deification of them. What ever we put ahead of God becomes our God. WE do not have little statues in our homes, but what we have is worse because we give our lives over to them.
• SLIDE #10
3. We left the old life because it does not get us where we want to go.
• The old way of life lead to destruction, it separated us from God and it opened us up to being subject to the wrath of God.
• The old way of life had nothing good for us, it used us and tossed us aside.
• The things listed in verse five are to be a part of the OLD life.
• This is a reason for us to put sin to death in our lives.
• SLIDE #11
4. Our new direction is to walk with God.
• When we sin, it is because we are doing what our flesh wants instead of what God wants.
• When we are immersed into Christ, we are fully saved, our life then is about reflecting that position with Christ.
• SLIDE #12
II. A NEW LIFE MUST HAVE A CHANGE OF ATTITUDE. (8-9)
• Verses 8-9 deal with issues of attitude.
• SLIDE #13
1. Because we laid aside the old life, we need to have a new attitude.
• We are told that we are in need of putting some old attitudes away.
• To put aside means to take off like taking off clothing.
• We are to disrobe from these sinful attitudes.
• Each of these attitudes if left unchecked will build upon one another.
• Anger is a deep smoldering bitterness. Unchecked it leads to wrath which is a deep determined anger that manifests itself in outbursts of anger.
• Unchecked, this leads to malice which is being bent on causing injury to another either physically or to their reputation.
• All these things can lead to slander and abusive speech.
• We need to rid ourselves of these things.
• There are many Christians who still to this day struggle with these attitudes.
• SLIDE #14
• Ephesians 4:29 (NASB) 29Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.
• It is easy for us to focus on the evils of verse 5 and forget about the evils in verse 8.
• I believe the issues of attitude in verse 8 may be more difficult for us to deal with because we can always rationalize our actions. THEY MADE ME MAD.
• SLIDE #15
2. Bad attitudes lead to bad actions.
• Verse 9 encourages us not to lie to one another. When we harbor bad things in the heart, they will come out in our actions.
• When you struggle with anger issues, quit sweeping it under the carpet ad quit rationalizing your anger. There is no justification for the Christian to live a life in anger.
• Bad attitudes will lead to bad actions.
• Do you really think God will bless you if you refuse to acknowledge the sin of anger, malice, wrath, and abusive speech?
• SLIDE #16
3. Our attitude toward others needs to be Christ-like.
• We are called and obligated to treat others in a Christ-like manner, even if they do not deserve it!
• We have tossed aside the old self with its evil practices! The new attitude is the one Jesus has toward others!
• SLIDE #17
III. A NEW LIFE MUST HAVE A CHANGE OF PURPOSE. (9-10)
• We are to have a new purpose. If you want to change, you need a change of purpose for your life.
• SLIDE #18
1. We are called to be renewed to a true knowledge of Christ.
• We cannot be renewed to a true knowledge of Him if we do not know anything about Him.
• Many of the world’s problems come from a lack of knowledge concerning God. Our ignorance of God and His word hold us back on the transformation process.
• We cannot be transformed into an image we do not know.
• Learning about God is exciting, and it is transforming!
• SLIDE #19
2. A true knowledge of Christ will lead us to new life.
• By obtaining knowledge of Christ and His will, our spiritual being is being changed into the likeness of Jesus.
• We learn to feel, act, and think like Christ.
• SLIDE #20
• Romans 12:2 (NASB) 2And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
• SLIDE #21
3. Our new purpose is to be transformed into the image of Jesus!
• What is the purpose for my life? It is to be transformed into the image of Jesus!
• SLIDE #22
• 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NASB) 18But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.
• That is your calling in Christ!
CONCLUSION
• It is all about trust; it is about trusting God with your life. It is about seeking Him in every area of your life.
• It is about letting God have you; it is about pursuing God’s agenda instead of your own.
• Are you feeling less than enthusiastic about your faith?
• To have the faith and relationship you want, you will need to change some things.
• Don’t you think it is time to quit fighting God, don’t you think it is time to quit playing church?
• Don’t you think it is time for a change? Doing what you always have done will give you what you have always got.
