Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved. . .

1. Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved. . .

2. Louis Heckert, 92 year old Grand Lake Man Improving after moose attack while walking to church.

3. Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved. . .

4. Colossians 3:5-14 • Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, • Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

5. 3:5 ‘Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: Immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed’ 3:8 ‘Rid yourselves of all such things as: Anger, rage, malice, slander, filthy language, and lying.’ 3:12 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 3:13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 3:14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Living the Christian Life Moral purity Sexual purity Self control Self discipline Mental purity Loving Impulse control Delay gratification Generous Contentment Gratitude Patience Compassionate Forgiving Kind Encouraging Clean up language Honesty Integrity

6. Living the Christian Life Moral purity Sexual purity Self control Self discipline Mental purity Loving Impulse control Delay gratification Generous Contentment Gratitude Patience Compassionate Forgiving Kind Encouraging Clean up language Honesty Integrity

7. How would you like to know a person like this? • A person who regards you with utmost respect and will not use you to further their own self interests, sexually or financially. This person’s inner thoughts about you and conversation with others about you will be consistent with the respect you feel in their presence. You will feel safe, secure, important and better about yourself in their presence. • This person will be patient with you, listen to understand what you have to say and your feelings; and will speak honestly with you, both affirmation and correction. Even when disagreeing this person will relate to you with respect and care. • This person will not attempt to conform your behavior to their preferences but will accept you as yourself. They will help you, not harm you, serve your needs, forgive you when you wrong them but will not hesitate to point out your faults in a loving manner when its in your best interest.

8. ‘Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: Immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed’ ‘Rid yourselves of all such things as: Anger, rage, malice, slander, filthy language, and lying.’ Divorce, prostitution, pornography, venereal disease, child molestation, rape, abortion, kidnapping, poverty Crime, theft, assault, burglary, murder, drugs, addictions, cheating, insider trading, white collar crime, income tax cheating, false advertising, starvation Relational tension, conflict, fights, arguments, murder, divisiveness, law suits, divorce, employee problems, road rage, vengeance, paranoia Damaged reputations, fractured relationships, suspicions, social turmoil, The fallout • Law enforcement agencies, courts, medical health agencies, sex education, social services, welfare • Anti-monopoly laws, stock market regulations, income tax audits, banking regulations, FBI, litigations, truth in advertising statutes, OSHA, • Referees, mediation, courts, medication, restraining orders • Wordy legal contracts, oaths, penalties for perjury, investigative reporters, law suits, 1. 2. Enormous human suffering! 3. 4.

9. New attitudes/behavior Moral purity Sexual purity Self control Self discipline Mental purity Loving Impulse control Delay gratification Generous Contentment Gratitude Patience Compassionate Forgiving Kind Encouraging Clean up language Honesty Integrity Negative Human nature: Self-centered Anger/rage Revenge Murder Lust Discontent Adultery Stealing Lying Wanting what others have Selfish • New relationship with God: • loved • secure • worth • significance • empowered by Holy Spirit • New nature: • like Jesus Commandments: Don’t murder Don’t adultery Don’t steal Don’t lie Don’t covet Try to be a good person, but: battles old nature: Self-absorbed, centered Tries self improvement Education, counseling Exercises will power Inconsistent Fails, blames, justifies Frustrated

10. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Colossians 3:5-14 Requires New Nature!

11. Biblical reality Common conceptions Love, joy, peace, courage Put to death old nature stuff: Get rid of old nature stuff: Try . . . . Try . . . . Frustration! I can do I can do Colossians 3-4 Set my mind on earthly things Set my heart/mind on things above I focus I focus Colossians 3:1-4 Put my faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior Born again, Christ in me, I died, got a new nature, empowered Whatever. Stuck with old nature I have done and am I have done and am Colossians 1-2 Son of God, lived on earth, died on cross for our sins, rose from the grave, Misconceptions Jesus is and does Jesus is and does Colossians 1-2 Almighty, Holy, Creator, personal, loving, Misconceptions God is and does God is and does Colossians 1-2

12. A New Nature • Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old nature with its practices and have put on the new nature, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Colossians 3:9 • Christ in you, the hope of glory! Colossians 1:27 • Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 2 Corinthians 5:17-18

13. Did you get started right? • 2:6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him . . . • 2:9-12 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. • 2:20 Since you died with Christ . . . • 3:1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ . . . • 1:27 Christ in you, the hope of glory!

14. “Hey, I’m a Christian and I go to church on Sundays. What else is there?” Barna Update, March 20, 27, 2006 • Virtually all of church going people and “62% of unchurched adults consider themselves to be Christian.” • “The worst thing,” Barna commented, “would be for millions of people to accept Christ as their savior and then live the remainder of their life as if nothing had changed other than their eternal destiny.

15. Are you saved enough? • Do I have a desire for righteousness? • Am I experiencing a growing empowerment to actually live righteously, getting rid of the old and putting on the new? • Do I feel compassion for others that motivates me to take care of their needs? • Am I routinely talking with others about Jesus who has made such a difference in my life?

16. Keep on getting saved until it works!