Colossians 3:1-17      How to Demonstrate that Jesus is Lord         Nov 19, 2006

     This week, I received an e-mail about a bike shop downtown having an end of year sale to clear out the 2006 bikes so that the 2007 bikes can arrive.  I looked briefly at the sale prices and the promise of how a new bicycle would make me into a better cyclist.  For a moment, I could really see myself on a new $3000 bicycle becoming a champion racer.  A good bike can help but I know, of course, that it will be me that has to do the hard training to really become a faster racer.  How about you?  How often are you tempted to buy something that promises to change your life?  A new car?  A new shirt or shoes?  Make-up or perfume?  In our society, we are constantly bombarded by those who want us to add something into the formula of our lives with the promise that this will finally make all the difference for us.  This morning, we are concluding our three week series on Colossians and here we will discover the shocking news that the NT advises us that instead of adding anything, we need to throw it all away.

     This morning, we have witnessed and participated in one of the central rituals of the Christian faith.  Baptism is the doorway into our community of faith, into relationship with Jesus Christ.  But what does it mean?  It is throwing it all away.  It is about giving our children away to God.  It is about death and about living a new life.  Baptism is a drowning and a resurrection.  And in this third chapter of Colossians, Paul urges all of us toward a daily dying with Christ into new life.  And the New Testament gives us practical instructions on how to do this.  If you are tired of adding one more thing to your life to make it better, maybe you should try throwing it all away.  Let’s look.

      We have seen in the last two weeks that the NT calls on us to declare Jesus as Lord in our lives and to defend Jesus as Lord so that nothing else gets in the way.  But we now need practical instruction.  It does little good to declare and defend unless we can demonstrate.  I know Christians who will defend Jesus at the drop of a hat.  They are always quick to argue religion.  But their personal lives do not demonstrate.  Saint Paul writes in Titus 1:16 says, “They profess that they know God, but in works they deny him.”  If Jesus is really to be Lord of our lives, we need to demonstrate it.  That happens when we throw it all away.

Look at vs 3.  “We died with Christ.”  We hear many sermons about how Christ died for us and our sins, but the NT says that we have also died with Christ.  Our old lives have all been thrown away.  This is a strong theme in the NT.  Romans 6:3 says, “Don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?  We were buried with him through baptism into death.”   Galatians 2:20 says , “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live.”  And of course, Jesus said, “All who wish to be my disciples must take up their cross and follow me.”  Follow me where?  To death on a cross.  Those who try to keep their life will loose it, but those who loose their life will find life.   Throw it all away. 

What are we throwing away?  Everything we are, all we have, all we’ve ever been.  We throw away the old life, what Paul calls our earthly nature.  Look at vs 5-10.  Here is a long list that we are instructed to put to death.  Now many may feel this is too negative?  Where is the positive word of beauty?  How many of you have ever worked to create a really nice garden of flowers or vegetables?  How many of you had to pull lots of weeds in order to create that beautiful garden?  You see, the negative work of throwing it all away has to be done before we will ever see the beauty of the full demonstrated Christian life.  No amount of positive talk about health will cure a ruptured appendix.  It is pouring poison into the body and the physician must cut it out.  Only then can the patient be restored to full health.  The first step to find health in Christ is to throw away all that we think we can do on our own power.  There is nothing I can do because I am dead.  My earthly human nature only drags me down.  And the best thing I can do with all I have, all I am, all my past hurts and injuries, all my past wins and victories, the best I can do with myself is to throw it all away.

What will happen then?  Look at vs 12 -17.  Cloth yourself with compassion, kindness, gentleness, and love.  We’ve all heard the phrase--All dressed up and no place to go.  Well, God will clothe you in a new life, and in the words of Dr. Seuss, “Oh, the places you’ll go.”  In the ancient church, newly baptized converts were clothed in a new white robe as a symbol of this new life.  But much more than a symbol, God clothes us, surrounds us, in a new way of being.  And what do I need to do?  Nothing.  It has already been done.  I need to more and more throw away my doing and let God do.  Look carefully at vs 1-3.   What do the scriptures say?  We have died with Christ.  We have been raised with Christ.  Our lives are now hidden in Christ.  You see, we are secure, hidden away in a safe place with God.  And all I need do is see that.  Believe that.  Saint Paul says to “Set your heart and mind on things above and not on things below.”  But even that is nothing that I do or make or cause to happen.  The reality is that my life is safely secure and hidden away in the God of eternity and I only need open my eyes to see that, to set my eyes upon it.  I do not make my new life happen by adding something else to it.  I find my new life already there by throwing away the old and just opening my eyes to the new.  Trust in God.  Have faith.  Relax.  It is all here for you.  You can live Jesus as Lord in a life of compassion, gentleness, kindness, love. 

 So when can I do this?  When can I find this new life?  Well, there have been in history those like Saint Francis who were able to throw it all away in one single step of faith.  Their lives seem changed overnight.  That is hard for most of us.  It takes us time to step by step open our eyes to the life above.  Hear me clearly now, the full reality is already there.  If Jesus is your Lord, you have already died, been raised, and hidden away in Christ Jesus.  There is nothing for you to do.  Throw all those doing something ideas away.  All that is needed is for you to see it more.  The fullness of God is here for all of us but we just cannot see it all.  This Thursday after Wednesday’s rain, I was praying in front of a window with my eyes closed.  As I sat there, I noticed more and more light.  I thought the sun must be starting to shine more.  I opened my eyes and nothing had changed outside.  No, what had happened was that with my eyes closed, my pupils had enlarged more and I could see more light.  Nothing had changed out side about the light.  The light was always there.  I just needed to see it.  Your full life in Christ is here for you right now.  The NT says, “Set your eyes on it.”  It is hard for most of us to completely throw it all away in a single moment of time.  It can be done and a few great saints have done so.  But I ask you this week, what one thing, what one worry, what one hurt, what one sin can you throw away and then look to see one thing of your life that is already hidden away safely in God?   I am tired of adding more to my life to fix it by myself.  I bet you are too.  Throw it away.  There is nothing for you to do.  Trust. Have faith.  Relax in God. Amen.