Sunday
Morning Bible Study / (Also - Men’s Retreat)
May 4, 2003
How to Live: Jesus in Me
Introduction
Illustration
A couple of weeks ago I was being a very good husband and actually tried to
help my wife with the wash. I took a
load of wet clothes out of the washing machine and put them into the
dryer. There was a pile of clothes
sitting on top of the dryer next to the washing machine, and I scooped them all
up and threw them into the washing machine.
I thought it was strange that we must have run out of those little dryer
sheets, but I went ahead and started the dryer load. I knew exactly what to do next, so I put a
scoop of detergent into the washing machine and started it. I was very proud of myself. Of course, I forgot to take that load out
when it was done and put it in the dryer, but hey, I was being so very
helpful! When my wife got home, she
looked at the load of wet clothes in washing machine and gasped. “What is all this stuff?” she said. There was a strange wet cardboard like stuff
all through the clothes. And there was
this white cloth-like material all wrapped up in the wet clothes. Finally, my wife figured it all out. “Where’s the dryer-sheets?” Then we realized that I had scooped up the
box of dryer-sheets and thrown them into the wash. When the clothes got washed, the box of dryer
sheets got washed.
Somehow, as Jesus was dying on the cross, we got scooped up and thrown into
the washing machine with Him. When He
died, so did we. His death wasn’t just
to pay for our sins, it actually affects our daily lives. Part of how it affects us is that we must
learn to “die” to our sin. We have to go
through a death.
He’s already been showing us that we have died with Christ and have been
raised with Him as well:
Death and Life:
(Col
2:12-13 KJV) Buried with him in baptism,
wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God,
who hath raised him from the dead. {13} And you, being dead in your sins and
the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having
forgiven you all trespasses;
Death:
(Col
2:20
KJV) Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ
from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye
subject to ordinances,
Now Paul is going to talk about the reality of living for Jesus, having His
life in us, not just about having received Jesus as Lord, but walking with Him
(Col. 2:6).
1-4 Things above
:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
affection – phroneo – to
have understanding, be wise; to feel, to think; to direct one’s mind to a
thing, to seek, to strive for
This was the word that was used much in Philippians, the idea of being
“minded” in a certain way.
Paul had written,
(Col
2:16
KJV) Let no man therefore judge you in
meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the
sabbath days:
I think that some of us spend way too much time worrying about what others
think of us. We spend too much time
trying to please other people, to make them happy, to keep them from “judging”
us.
Instead, we ought to be concerned about keeping our eyes on Jesus and
simply be concerned about pleasing Him.
There’s an old phrase, “Don’t be so heavenly-minded that you’re no earthly
good”.
I think that there can be a time when a person gets caught up in
religiousness so much that this can be true.
But I think that if we are going to be “heavenly-minded” in the way that
Paul is talking about, we’ll be extremely
good on earth.
I think that too often we’re simply too “earthly-minded” to be of any
“heavenly-good”
:5-7 What to die to
:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth;
Mortify – nekroo – to make
dead, to put to death, slay; worn out; of an impotent old man; to deprive of
power, destroy the strength of. Aorist
active imperative.
Lesson
Learning to die
We died with Christ. There are
things that need to be a part of that death.
Illustration
If you attempt to talk with a dying man about sports or business, he is no
longer interested. He now sees other things as more important. People who are
dying recognize what we often forget, that we are standing on the brink of
another world.
-- William Law in
Christian Perfection
:5 fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and
covetousness, which is idolatry:
fornication – porneia – illicit sexual intercourse;
adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism, any kind of sex outside the
boundary of marriage.
We are living in a sex-saturated society.
Madison Avenue counts on the fact that sex “sells”. Ads, billboards, commercials all seem to
carry sexual-innuendo. One of the things
that results from this in men is a feeding of our sinful appetites. It feeds our flesh and then we get surprised
that we go off into sinful behavior.
uncleanness – akatharsia – uncleanness; physical; in a
moral sense: the impurity of lustful living
It sounds to me like simply being “filthy” – on the inside.
inordinate affection – pathos –
in the NT in a bad sense, depraved passion, vile passions
concupiscence – epithumia – desire, craving, longing,
desire for what is forbidden, lust
“evil lusts”; craving for the wrong things.
covetousness – pleonexia – greedy desire to have more,
covetousness, avarice
We don’t often look at this as being as evil as the other things. Pornography, drugs, sure they’re definitely
evil. But working hard to have a really
nice house and drive a fancy car? How
can that be bad?
God says it’s bad.
idolatry – eidololatreia –
the worship of false gods, idolatry; of avarice, as a worship of Mammon
These kinds of sins amount to idolatry because they take our focus off of
God.
Lesson
Practical help
Are you going to get serious about the problem?
Confession
Are you willing to admit you need help?
Who are you going to admit it to?
I think that sometimes it’s just fine to admit to God that
you have a problem.
But I think for many of us, it’s time to admit that we’ve
been fooling ourselves and we need to broaden our “confession” and bring
another person on board with our problem.
Forgiveness
You need to receive God’s forgiveness.
If you’ve confessed your sin, God will forgive.
(1 John 1:9 KJV)
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Death
You need to stop whatever you’re doing.
Right now.
Illustration
I heard David Hocking the other day on the radio talk
about how we are to deal with our sin.
He said we are to stop it. He
gave an example of a guy who came up to him after church and asked for prayer
to stop smoking. David said to him, “So
you want to stop smoking?” The guy said,
“Yes”. David could see a pack of
cigarettes in the guy’s pocket, so he began to reach out and take them. The guy hit David’s hand and said, “Is this a
pastor kind of thing? What are you
doing?” David said, “I’m going to take
your cigarettes away.” Finally the guy
let him take them, and they flushed them down a toilet. Then David said, “You have a van, don’t
you? Can you take me to your van so we
can get rid of any cigarettes there?”
The guy said, “Oh, there’s no cigarettes there.” But they went to the guy’s van, and found 12
packs of cigarettes. The guy said, “But
that’s a lot of money I’ve spent on those”.
David said, “Do you want to quit?”
Walking
It’s not enough to just get clean.
We need to stay clean.
Accountability.
Finding the right person.
Sometimes it’s your wife.
Sometimes it’s another brother.
Someone who will accept you and help you experience God’s grace and
forgiveness. Someone who will be tough
enough on you to actually check up on you.
:6 For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of
disobedience:
These things are the very reason why the world will one day be judged.
(Rev 16:1-8; 15 KJV) And I heard a great voice out of the temple
saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath
of God upon the earth.
Revelation 16 is just the last bit of God’s wrath that will be poured out
during the coming Tribulation. But it
certainly gives you a hint of what God’s wrath is all about.
{2} And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and
there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the
beast, and upon them which worshipped his image. {3} And the second angel poured
out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man; and every
living soul died in the sea. {4} And the third angel poured out his vial upon
the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood. {5} And I heard the
angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and
shalt be, because thou hast judged thus. {6} For they have shed the blood of
saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are
worthy. {7} And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God
Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.
The angels in heaven see what we do.
They know what we deserve. And
when they see God’s wrath being poured out, they agree that God is completely
correct in bringing judgment.
{8} And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and
power was given unto him to scorch men with fire…
More and more plagues are poured out on the earth…
{15} Behold, I come as a
thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk
naked, and they see his shame.
This is a little side note given by Jesus.
We ought to be getting the point here.
This is what Colossians 3:6 is about.
These are the things that happen as a consequence of our sin.
We might have thought that our “little sin” doesn’t really hurt
anybody. We’re wrong.
It hurts us. It hurts the people
around us.
:8-11 What to put off
:8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy,
filthy communication out of your mouth.
malice – kakia – malignity, malice, ill-will,
desire to injure
filthy communication – aischrologia – foul speaking, low and
obscene speech
What kind of language does our Risen Lord use? Do we say things that reflect the fact that a
Risen Lord is alive in us? I don’t think
this means that we can’t have a sense of humor or tell jokes. Just keep them clean.
:9 Lie not one to another
Lesson
Live in the truth.
Part of growing up is learning to speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:15)
When we are constantly wondering what “story” we should tell certain
people, when we can’t even be honest with ourselves about certain things, we’re
not going to grow up.
:10 And have put on the new man
Just as we are to put to death those areas of sin in our lives because we
have been crucified with Him, there is a practical application to the
Resurrection.
There are things we are to become “alive” to, things that are supposed to
be happening in our life.
Illustration
Soon after Augustine’s conversion, he was walking down the street in Milan,
Italy. There he accosted a prostitute whom he had
known most intimately. She called but he
would not answer. He kept right on walking.
“Augustine,” she called again. “It
is I!” Without slowing down, but with
assurance of Christ in his heart, he testified, “Yes, but it is no longer I.” Although young in the faith, he knew
something of a solicitation to do evil and the way of victory over
temptation. His reply, “It is no longer
I,” expresses a realization that he had a new power available to combat the
forces of sin and evil which would seek to dominate his life. He was a changed man.
:12-17 What to put on
:12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of
mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
put on – enduo – to sink
into (clothing), put on, clothe one’s self
Lesson
What to focus on – Fill the Hole
I think that these are the things that Paul was talking about when he said
to “set your mind on the things above”.
These are the kinds of things to be focusing on.
I think there is a sense in which we need to always be watchful that we
don’t slip back into our old sins, but we need to have a new focus on life.
We shouldn’t be solely focusing on what NOT to do.
God’s desire isn’t that we just
stop our sin, but that we fill the void.
Jesus said,
(Mat 12:43-45 KJV) When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man,
he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. {44} Then he
saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come,
he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. {45} Then goeth he, and taketh with
himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and
dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so
shall it be also unto this wicked generation.
We need to “fill” the house.
Illustration
A man who drank heavily was converted to Christ and lived
victoriously for several weeks. One day
as he passed the open door of a tavern, the pungent odor drifting out aroused
his old appetite for liquor. Just then
he saw this sign in the window of a nearby cafe: “All the buttermilk you can
drink -- 25 cents!” Dashing inside, he ordered one glass, then another, and
still another. After finishing the third
he walked past the saloon and was no longer tempted. He was so full of buttermilk that he had no
room for that which would be injurious to him.
The lesson is clear: to be
victorious over our evil desires, we must leave no opportunity for them to
repossess us.
Victory doesn’t come just by working hard to eliminate our sinful
habits. We need to let the Spirit of God
fill our lives, and fill our lives with these kinds of things.
bowels – splagchnon –
bowels, intestines, the ancients thought that the emotions came from the
“bowels”, not the “heart”.
mercies – oiktirmos –
compassion, pity, mercy; bowels in which compassion resides, a heart of
compassion; emotions, longings, manifestations of pity
kindness – chrestotes – moral goodness, integrity;
benignity, kindness. Doing good things
for others.
humbleness of mind – tapeinophrosune – the having a humble
opinion of one’s self; a deep sense of one’s (moral) littleness; modesty,
humility, lowliness of mind
I think one of the best ways of not only learning humility, but maintaining
humility is through being a servant.
Jesus taught this by example. He was
a servant. On the night He was to be
betrayed, He served the disciples by washing their feet (John 13). He did the lowliest of jobs.
When you find yourself reacting to a job by saying to yourself, “I don’t do
this kind of lowly stuff anymore …”, you’ve lost your humility.
meekness – praotes – gentleness, mildness,
meekness. Another concept of this word
is “strength under control”
longsuffering – makrothumia – patience, endurance,
constancy, steadfastness, perseverance; patience, forbearance, longsuffering,
slowness in avenging wrongs
:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a
quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
forbearing – anechomai – to hold up; to hold one’s
self erect and firm; to sustain, to bear, to endure
To hold up each other - ACCOUNTABILITY
forgiving – charizomai – to do something pleasant or
agreeable (to one), to do a favour to, gratify; to show one’s self gracious,
kind, benevolent; to grant forgiveness, to pardon; to give graciously, give
freely, bestow; to forgive; graciously to restore one to another; to preserve
for one a person in peril
We might translate this, “grace one another”.
Lesson
Learn grace
Jon Courson: Grace isn’t just the
starting point for the Christian, it’s the WHOLE POINT.
There’s a story about Jesus and two other people. As we read through the passage, which of the
people do you most identify with? Do you
treat others like Jesus or like Simon the Pharisee? Can you relate at all to the woman in the
story?
(Luke 7:36-50 KJV) And one of the Pharisees desired him that he
would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to
meat. {37} And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew
that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of
ointment, {38} And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his
feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his
feet, and anointed them with the ointment. {39} Now when the Pharisee which had
bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a
prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth
him: for she is a sinner. {40} And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have
somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. {41} There was a
certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and
the other fifty. {42} And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them
both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? {43} Simon answered
and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him,
Thou hast rightly judged. {44} And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon,
Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for
my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs
of her head. {45} Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came
in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. {46} My head with oil thou didst not
anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. {47} Wherefore I
say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but
to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. {48} And he said unto her,
Thy sins are forgiven. {49} And they that sat at meat with him began to say
within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also? {50} And he said to
the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.
There are times when we are working hard to stay away from sin, but it’s
our own doing, our own legalism that drives us.
Rather than being a work of the Holy Spirit, driven by God’s incredible
grace, it becomes a work that we strive at.
Then we become resentful of others who aren’t working as hard as we are
and who aren’t staying away from that wonderful, delicious sin that we are
trying so hard to stay away from.
The result is Pharisaism, where we become critical and judgmental of anyone
who has any sin in their lives.
Don’t become a bitter person who forgets what it’s like to have receive
forgiveness from Jesus.
Paul wrote,
(1 Cor 4:7 NLT) What makes
you better than anyone else? What do you have that God hasn't given you? And if
all you have is from God, why boast as though you have accomplished something
on your own?
Sometimes the trap comes when I think that I really have accomplished
something that is pretty special. But
nobody seems to notice. Or they don’t
give me the kind of credit or applause that I think I deserve.
When this happens, I’ve lost the sense of grace. I’ve started to think that I’ve got what it takes to be worth
something, yet all that I have that is good is from Jesus, not me.
Another trap comes when I think that since I don’t have anything worthwhile
in myself to offer to others, that I should forget about stepping out in
ministry to help others.
I may not have anything to offer others, but Jesus does. Let Him work through you.