It Starts Small

3 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Colossians 3:1

Jesus desires, deserves, and demands preeminence in our lives. If Christ is all to us, then he is all in on us. Jesus doesn’t just point to life, he is our life.

⁶ Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6

³ For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. Colossians 3:3

We are crucified in Christ. We died with Christ. We are raised with Christ. (V1)

My old self was crucified (v3)
My new self was raised with Christ (v1)

⁴ When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Colossians 3:4

My life is in Christ.

³ In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Colossians 2:3

In Jesus are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden. Outside of Jesus, there is no treasure or wisdom. There are three important verbs, or actions we need to look at in these passages (Colossians 3:1-5)

V1: Seek
V2: Set
V5: Mortify (put to death)

Today, I want to talk about seeking. We are told to seek the things that are above. When Jesus is our ALL, Jesus captivates my ambition. According to dictionary.com, ambition is the strong desire to do or achieve something. What we seek most in life is what our ambition is. What is your ambition right now?

If we are seeking the kingdom of God our ambition is in Jesus. The devil doesn’t care about what you seek as long as it is not seeking the Kingdom of God. IF we back up a chapter in Colossians, we are given four examples of what is below the kingdom of God.

#1 Reasonings of the World

⁸ Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. Colossians 2:8

That is a really strong warning. The word spoil here is related to war. When a people were defeated they became the spoil of the winners. They were hauled off into bondage. Spoil means to be carried off as a prisoner. The world’s philosophy is a prison.

One of this world’s philosophies is the Golden Rule: whoever has the gold makes the rules. This goes against the word of God. The world thinks that only the rich and famous make the appropriate decisions and rules for the world. Jesus said,

³¹ And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. Luke 6:31

¹² Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. Matthew 7:12

Do not let the world carry you away in vain deceit and philosophies.

#2 Rituals of the World

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; ¹⁴ Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; ¹⁵ And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. ¹⁶ 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: ¹⁷ Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. Colossians 2:13-17

The Jewish religion had many rituals. They had certain drink offerings, meat offerings, and certain holy day rituals. Paul is telling Christians, don’t let anyone judge you. We don’t keep the religious law from the Old Testament, because Jesus nailed it to the cross. He became our sacrifice, and rituals of sacrifice are no longer needed. Trying to keep the rituals are chasing shadows. This is seeking what is below and not what is above.

#3 Religions of this World

¹⁸ Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, ¹⁹ And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God. Colossians 2:18-19

Don’t fall for worldly philosophies and religions. Worshipping anything other than God Almighty, Jehovah God, is seeking the things below and not above. Paul was speaking specifically to the Colossi and their worship of angels. He was warning them to not go after and worship some sort of angelic being.

Satan is not against religion as long as we are seeking his vain philosophies, practicing vain rituals, and seeking and worshipping the idols of this world.

#4 Regulations of the World

²⁰ 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, ²¹ (Touch not; taste not; handle not; ²² Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? Colossians 2:20-22

This is falling for the tradition of men who take God’s word and add to it. They will bind on people burdens that are unattainable and crushing.

²³ Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body: not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh. Colossians 2:23

We aren’t going to be any more or less like Jesus with a list of to-dos and do nots. It may look good, and have a show of wisdom and humility, but if you let all the pompous air of it, it’s will worship and NOT God worship.

You can come up with a list of good things to do and even tell yourself you’re doing good, but it has no effect. All it does is just increase your pride. It tells our neighbors that Christianity is nothing more than a list of dos and do nots. People will believe that the list they follow, the rules and regulations are some how spiritual. They think the list its self makes them spiritual. Try going two weeks not doing the dirty dozen and see just how spiritual you really are. A thousand do nots will not make you more like our Lord Jesus Christ!

Christianity is not a legal relationship, it is a love relationship. A will worship is forced and from the heart. Will worship says you have to do these things or else….. You can check items off a list and never truly experience a love relationship with Jesus. It’s vain to do good without the love of Christ or for Christ.

So what does it mean to look up and seek the kingdom of God? How do we make sure our ambition lines up with God?

#1 IS your ambition all about you?

¹⁶ For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. James 3:16

Where selfish ambition thrives we find we find disorder and evil practice. Godly ambition falls somewhere on the spectrum between selfishness and selflessness. Are you working hard at making yourself look good or working hard to help others? Selfishness is self-serving and works hard to further your own agenda and not God’s. This leads to cutting corners in life and burning bridges because in the end, the goal is all about you. Selfish ambition does not serve God, it only serves your own selfish intentions and goals.

Sometimes, selfish ambition is not always visible. We do not want to admit we are conceited and serving the purpose of ourselves. We need to always ask ourselves, who are we serving, ourselves or God.

#2 Does our ambition make room to serve God?

¹² Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: Romans 5:12

Godly ambition mirrors what is spoken in this verse: it is my ambition to share Christ where he is not known. The right kind of ambition comes from listening to what God wants for every season in our lives. You can spend extra time to do something, but if it comes at the extent of our families or faith, it’s probably not in the will of God.  It’s vital that we ask ourselves whether or not our ambitions are serving God.

#3 Is there humility in your ambition?

Ambition can help us get ahead in life. It can help build our lives and influence with those around us. We can sour our godly ambition when we do not have the right attitude. Is there a practice of humility in your ambition? What is the attitude in your ambition? If our ambition squashes our humility and its serves only to destroy relationships to get to the next level, its more than likely off the rails. Do you have humility or are you self-absorbed? This is a good indicator of godly ambition. Godly ambition is not full of an abundance of arrogance or ego.

#4 Does your ambition bring joy?

Is what you are doing brings you nothing but misery, maybe its time you sat down and asked God if this is where he wants you to be. We all go through moments of unrest and uncertainty, but God wants to give us work that brings us joy. If we don’t like what we are doing, chances are high we will not do a good job.

#5 What is your motivation?

What wakes you up in the morning?
What makes you work hard?
What keeps you going?

These are complicated questions that have complex answers, but where does God factor into the answer? Our motivation and ambition tell us what is priority in our life. It is priority to be rich and famous, or is seeking God your priority. Its your motivation selfishness and getting what you want because you think you deserve it or is your motivation living the life God has for you?

Is your motivation moving you towards God or away from God?

Our goal in life should be to think, act, speak, and live a life like Jesus lived. When we love Jesus and he is our all, he captivates our ambition an sets our ambition on the things above and not below. Today is a great day to reflect and look at our own ambition and what drives us? Do we have a drive to seek Jesus and be like him in all we do, or is our ambition self seek and serving?