SPIRITUAL FOCUS (13 OF 23)
Scripture: Colossians 3:1-4
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Spiritual Focus (13 of 23)
Series: Colossians - The Supremacy and Sufficiency of Christ
Stephen Whitney
Colossians 3:1-4
In his classic spiritual allegory Pilgrim's Progress, John Bunyan painted a word picture of a man who only looked down, not up. This poor man was on his knees in the dirt constantly working with a rake, trying to find something that would enrich his life. Yet all the while a bright crown of immeasurable worth was within his reach just above him.
Bunyan summarized the tragedy: ''There stood One over his head with a celestial crown in his hand and offered him that crown for his muck rake; but the man never looked up as he continued gathering to himself the straw, the small sticks and the dust of the floor!''
His words are a reminder that Christians should focus on spiritual things which are eternal rather than on earthly things which are just temporary. William Gurnall wrote, ''Nothing is more contrary to a heavenly hope than an earthly heart.''
Since a believer's hope is seeing Christ and being with him forever they should spend time focusing of what he is done for them. Earthly things often consume our lives because we are physical beings in need of food, shelter and the desire for relationships.
Peggy Noonan, a Newsweek columnist, wrote, ''An earthly focus cannot satisfy us. It is embarrassing to live in the most comfortable time in history and not be happy . . . Our ancestors believed in two worlds and understood this to be the solitary, poor, nasty and short one.''
What we focus our thoughts on determines what we become. Proverbs 23:7 As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.
The more we focus on our relationship with Christ the more we will become like him. God wants us to change our earthly focus to a heavenly focus so our hope will be for heaven, not earth.
RAISED TO NEW LIFE :1
If - Gk. a condition which assumes something to be true. It could be translated: Since or because you have been raised . . .
Col. ...
Series: Colossians - The Supremacy and Sufficiency of Christ
Stephen Whitney
Colossians 3:1-4
In his classic spiritual allegory Pilgrim's Progress, John Bunyan painted a word picture of a man who only looked down, not up. This poor man was on his knees in the dirt constantly working with a rake, trying to find something that would enrich his life. Yet all the while a bright crown of immeasurable worth was within his reach just above him.
Bunyan summarized the tragedy: ''There stood One over his head with a celestial crown in his hand and offered him that crown for his muck rake; but the man never looked up as he continued gathering to himself the straw, the small sticks and the dust of the floor!''
His words are a reminder that Christians should focus on spiritual things which are eternal rather than on earthly things which are just temporary. William Gurnall wrote, ''Nothing is more contrary to a heavenly hope than an earthly heart.''
Since a believer's hope is seeing Christ and being with him forever they should spend time focusing of what he is done for them. Earthly things often consume our lives because we are physical beings in need of food, shelter and the desire for relationships.
Peggy Noonan, a Newsweek columnist, wrote, ''An earthly focus cannot satisfy us. It is embarrassing to live in the most comfortable time in history and not be happy . . . Our ancestors believed in two worlds and understood this to be the solitary, poor, nasty and short one.''
What we focus our thoughts on determines what we become. Proverbs 23:7 As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.
The more we focus on our relationship with Christ the more we will become like him. God wants us to change our earthly focus to a heavenly focus so our hope will be for heaven, not earth.
RAISED TO NEW LIFE :1
If - Gk. a condition which assumes something to be true. It could be translated: Since or because you have been raised . . .
Col. ...
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