Colossians 3:2
2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly
things.
Introduction
This sermon is based on Donald Whitney’s book
‘Simplify Your Spiritual Life’. Briefly this book exhorts us to see everything
as an illustration of biblical truth. In other words, we can use earthly things
to remind us of things above by asking ourselves 2 questions:
1. What
biblical truth does this show?
2. How
is this like something in the bible?
Sister Bee Ching suggested two ways to do
this.
1. Try
to connect what we see with a verse in the bible.
Example 1:
Today is Chinese New
Year and the year of the snake in the Chinese calendar. The snake here reminds
us of Genesis 3:5 and Matthew 1.
That the prophecy
‘And I will put
enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring[a] and hers;
he will crush[b] your head, and you will strike
his heel’ came true when Jesus was born (Matt 1).
Example 2:
When one is listening to a long and boring speech
… remember Mt 6:7 – 8 ‘7 And
when you pray, do not keep on babbling like
pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what
you need before you ask him.’
Example 3:
When we see a waterfall, we feel refreshed. We
might want to connect it to Jesus’ promise of living water for those who
believe in Him (John 7:38) ‘38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.’
2. Look
at things (situation) in a similar manner as Jesus’ parables.
Example 1:
When we see a
football team, we can liken a football team with the members of the church or
congregation. Each team member are important and work together to score as many
goals as possible and defend their goal post from being scored. In the bible, Paul
likened the church to a body with many parts (1 Cor 12:12 – 14 ‘12 Just
as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so
it is with Christ. 13 For
we were all baptized by[c] one
Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and
we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even
so the body is not made up of one part but of many.’)
Example 2:
When we see a rose, we can be reminded ‘not to
worry’ as in Matt 6:28 -30 ‘28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the
flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his
splendour was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the
field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not
much more clothe you—you of little faith?’ Not even Solomon in all his
splendour can compare with the beauty of a flower!
Example 3:
When we see a shower, we can be reminded that God
is gracious to all (believers as well as unbelievers) as in Matt 5:45 ‘45 that you may be
children of your Father in heaven. He causes
his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and
the unrighteous.’
Joke:
A photographer gets invited to a socialite's party and the socialite remarks, "Your photographs are amazing! You must own a fantastic camera! To which the photographer replies, "The food is great! You must have a fantastic stove."
This joke is an
illustration of the fact that God is the one in control of all things and we
are but His tools. So all glory should be given to the one in control of
everything and that is God.
Application
Many may say, “I
am so busy. Where got time to meditate?”
But the best
thing is it can be done anytime, anywhere!
For instance, we
spend a lot of time waiting … while waiting we can look around and observe and
relate to biblical truths.
Or while caught in
a jam, we can sing and meditate on the
song “Still”.
Bee Ching
suggests that all we really need are just 2 things:
a) Look with a purpose.
Pray and ask God to open our eyes to see Him in everything around us.
b) Read the bible.
We need to learn what is in the bible to be able
to know the biblical truths in it and the verses.
Closing
The more we intentionally look for things of God, the more insight we will obtain.
Start with what we already know. If we do this every day, we will find
ourselves thinking about things of God and will be transformed.
Romans
2:2 ‘2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of
your mind. Then you will be able to test and
approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.’