There are so many false religions and crazy philosophies out there these days. \u00a0And then there are just plain crazy people. \u00a0I could go on all day about the Catholics, Charismatics, or Mormons, but I think I will just attack straight up crazy today. \u00a0According to wikipedia “Grandiose delusions\u00a0are principally a subtype of\u00a0delusional disorder\u00a0that occurs in patients suffering from a wide range of mental illnesses”. \u00a0Oh thanks that helps a lot, sounds like the average sinner to me. \u00a0But these really are funny, people actually think they are famous, or some sort of royalty, or even the King of England! \u00a0 Can you believe that?<\/p>\n
I’m not sure I believe that, but I do believe that the heart of man is deceitfully wicked. \u00a0And I’m not sure how this weeks sermon unveiled that or pushed anyone towards something better, towards Christ. \u00a0Bashing the false religions of the world is a little strange but “think on the things of heaven” and then ending there seemed quite vapid, quite crazy. \u00a0The best parts of the story were cut out. \u00a0What does it mean to think about heavenly things? \u00a0What about facing the glaring reality that we can’t do it, without Christ?<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?
\nsays the Lord;
\nI have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
\nand the fat of well- fed beasts;
\nI do not delight in the blood of bulls,
\nor of lambs, or of goats.
\n\u201cWhen you come to appear before me,
\nwho has required of you
\nthis trampling of my courts?
\nBring no more vain offerings;
\nincense is an abomination to me. \u00a0Isaiah 1:11-13<\/p><\/blockquote>\nGod did say this to his people, but to portray them as perfect outward conformity with internal deadness is crazy. \u00a0Though I have heard it may times. \u00a0 All it takes is a little context, they may have been doing these things, but they were ignoring the majority of the law. \u00a0They offered sacrifices, to Yahweh, but he was just one of many in their pantheon. \u00a0And their lives reflected this chaos, it wasn’t just a secret heart issue that was on display or in need of remedy. \u00a0They needed different actions, real, external actions. Keep reading verse sixteen.<\/p>\n
Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
\nremove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes;
\ncease to do evil,
\nlearn to do good;
\nseek justice,
\ncorrect oppression;
\nbring justice to the fatherless,
\nplead the widow’s cause<\/p><\/blockquote>\nThis is a list of things to do. \u00a0Of course they couldn’t do it without the grace of God. \u00a0Of course it’s representative and not exhaustive, but it is a list. \u00a0And neither can we have a correct heart or a correct focus without Jesus. But if we have the Spirit we should act like it externally. \u00a0It’s not just about theoretical, abstract beliefs. \u00a0This is how God’s people should act.<\/p>\n
Paul seems to be always pushing this point. \u00a0In Colossians it is made very clear. \u00a0He does say we should “set our minds on the things above and not the things below”, but it is in the middle of the book. \u00a0The things of earth are a reality, it was no mystery to them. What is the context? \u00a0Paul is suffering, they are being persecuted, there are false teachers lying to them and making up rules about food, and there are countless temptations to sin. \u00a0It’s not much different from today. \u00a0And the temptation to live as if this was all there was, is real to us. \u00a0So then Paul says, “set your minds on the things above”. \u00a0What are the things above? \u00a0Christ. \u00a0And how did he get above? \u00a0He died. \u00a0Your baptism was a picture of that, if you want to be raised on high, to heaven, you must die. \u00a0Get your desires and worries and all the selfishness of this world, out of the way.<\/p>\n
What is Christ doing on high, in glory? \u00a0He is reigning as a king on his throne. \u00a0We don’t have the best view of kings these days. \u00a0But we still look to our political leaders to provide good things for us. The ideal king of the Old Testament was a sacrificial, humble leader who applied his wisdom to accomplish the list Isaiah used above. \u00a0Christ, the perfect king is reigning on high. And Paul says “we will also appear with him in glory.” \u00a0We are sons of the king people! \u00a0That crazy guy above, who thought he was the King of England, was closer to sanity than many Christians. \u00a0We are royalty in heaven despite what it looks like here on earth. \u00a0So act like it! \u00a0The news this very day is full of stories of British royalty who are not acting like it. \u00a0The press loves it, but it is a great shame to our sister nation. \u00a0Prince Harry is always running around with scantily clad women and now it looks like Prince Andrew is abusing young girls. \u00a0They are not acting like royalty, they are giving their country a bad name. \u00a0This is what it looks like when Christians act like the world. \u00a0We give our king, Jesus, a bad name.<\/p>\n
So Paul goes on. \u00a0We are royalty, we have been given a position we didn’t deserve or earn, so act like it. \u00a0He gives us a list. \u00a0He doesn’t just end with “think about heaven in 2015,[corny guitar solo] bye”.<\/p>\n
Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. . . But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, . . .<\/p>\n
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.<\/p>\n
Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye- service, as people- pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.<\/p>\n
Masters, treat your bondservants justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.<\/p>\n
Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison\u2014 that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.
\nWalk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person<\/p><\/blockquote>\nThis is how the heirs of the King are supposed to act. \u00a0So go and make your king proud. \u00a0It’s a privilege. \u00a0Don’t let it end with a theory. \u00a0Don’t throw up your hands and call me a legalist. \u00a0Love him because he first loved you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
There are so many false religions and crazy philosophies out there these days. \u00a0And then there are just plain crazy people. \u00a0I could go on all day about the Catholics, Charismatics, or Mormons, but I think I will just attack straight up crazy today. \u00a0According to wikipedia “Grandiose delusions\u00a0are principally a subtype of\u00a0delusional disorder\u00a0that occurs […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1350","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t