Living Above the Surface

Colossians 3:1-7

1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those
things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the
right hand of God.
2 Set your affection on things above, not on things
on the earth.
3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ
in God.
4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then
shall ye also appear with him in glory.
5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the
earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate
affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness,
which is idolatry:
6 For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on
the children of disobedience:
7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye
lived in them.

The followers of Jesus have died in Jesus, but have also been raised in Jesus. Submarining is a new dating term that means to disappear and then reappear as though one is stalking. Christians submarine also sometimes in that they disappear from a congregation and then reappear maybe in a different congregation. Seeking though the things above goes above the surface of what you may seek in a church...

Romans 8:10-17

10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because
of sin; but the Spirit is life because of
righteousness.
11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus
from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ
from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies
by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the
flesh, to live after the flesh.
13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but
if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the
body, ye shall live.
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they
are the sons of God.
15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage
again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of
adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit,
that we are the children of God:
17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and
joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer
with him, that we may be also glorified together.

When I live by the flesh, my relationship with God dies, but if I live of the Spirit, the flesh dies and I am glorified by God with Christ. I will be with the one who is seated at the right hand of God, who is our high priest - Jesus Christ. Jesus died once and for all of us - 'It is finished.' Your religion that you may seek from your church may do nothing for you, but it is your relationship with Christ that atones for your sin by the blood of Jesus. He is seated at the right hand of God for our atonement and sanctification. So we should seek the things above through worship or do we worship something else like drugs, alcohol or money? We become like the very thing that we worship. What is your mind set on? For that which we set our minds on is what which we worship. That doesn't mean you can't set your mind on other things like your job, but a mindset of and for the Lord should be foremost ABOVE all other mindsets...

Matthew 6:21

21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart
be also.

Isaiah 26:3

3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind
is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

Psalm 37:6-9

6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the
light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret
not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way,
because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to
pass.
8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not
thyself in any wise to do evil.
9 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that
wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.

Reference: Pastor Al Pittman
Calvary Worship Center, Colorado Springs, CO
Sermon

The Grim Reaper Preacher says, "Try reading the Bible from cover to cover - you'll like it."